Instead, she asked him to identify the specific threat he perceived at each stage.
Grant struggled to provide consistent answers.
Then came the badge.
The investigator placed a clear image of Naomi's identification case on the table.
"Why did you call this fake?"
Grant looked at it.
For several seconds, he remained silent.
Then said that counterfeit credentials existed.
"Did you attempt to verify the badge number?"
"No."
"Did you contact dispatch?"
"No."
"Did you ask Officer Reeves to verify it?"
"No."
"Did you recognize the department seal?"
Grant hesitated.
"Yes."
The investigator waited.
Finally, she asked the question he appeared least prepared to answer.
"If you recognized the seal and saw the name and rank, why did you treat the identification as meaningless?"
Grant leaned backward.
For a moment, he looked angry.
Then he answered.
"Because I believed she was trying to manipulate the situation."
The investigator made a note.
She didn't immediately accuse him of lying.
But the answer illustrated the underlying problem.
Grant's suspicion had become impossible to disprove in his own mind.
Even legitimate evidence was being interpreted as another sign of deception.
Outside the formal investigation, Grant's reputation was deteriorating.
The videos circulated widely.
Some viewers called for his immediate dismissal.
Others argued that a chief of police shouldn't receive preferential treatment simply because she held a senior rank.
Naomi agreed with the second principle.
But she rejected the suggestion that the issue was whether she deserved special treatment.
The issue was whether Grant had followed reasonable procedures when faced with information that could establish her identity.
If she'd been a nurse returning from work, the investigation should have examined the same questions.
If she'd been a retired teacher, the standards should have been the same.
If she'd been an unemployed resident with limited resources, the department still should have expected officers to use authority proportionately and evaluate facts honestly.
That was the point.
Her title made the mistake impossible for Grant to dismiss.
It didn't create the wrongfulness of the conduct.
Naomi repeated that distinction during a private conversation with Brooks.
They were sitting in her office several days after the incident.
Her shoulder remained uncomfortable, and she was following medical guidance while returning gradually to work.
Brooks looked toward her.
"People keep asking whether this would've happened if you were wearing your uniform."
Naomi smiled without humor.
"Maybe not."
She paused.
"But I was wearing a gown. I was in my house. I offered identification. None of those facts justified what happened."
Brooks nodded.
Then he asked whether she believed Grant recognized her name before the deputy arrived.
Naomi considered the question.
"I don't know what he believed."