You don’t actually get into an argument with your neighbor, but your houses are close enough together that they can certainly hear you when you get into an argument with your spouse. Maybe you live in an apartment or a condo, or perhaps you’re in some other sort of shared living situation.
The problem arises when your neighbor calls the police during the argument. They say that domestic violence is taking place. When the officers arrive, you claim that you never did anything wrong and your neighbor wasn’t even actually privy to the events that were unfolding. They just made an assumption and called the police. Now, what can you do?
This is why it’s not always best to call the police
Situations like this do happen, and that’s why neighbors need to be careful about calling the police. There are many situations in which doing so is not going to make the situation better, but worse.
As you can see from this example, contacting the authorities could also lead to misinformation or confusion. The neighbor may fully believe what they’re telling the officers even though they are absolutely wrong about what they think happened. The officers simply have to try to sort it out on the scene, so they will probably just arrest you and assume that your neighbor is telling the truth. This can feel like a massive injustice at the time, and you may be very frustrated that things got construed the way they did.
What should you do?
If you do find yourself in this position, it is best to begin looking into your legal options. If it really is a false arrest, there are plenty of criminal defense options you can use, rather than trying to avoid arrest at the time. Exercise your right to remain silent until you can find experienced legal guidance.
