A viral hand signal to report a domestic signal saved the life of this young woman who alerted people around her with the signal telling them silently that she was being allegedly kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend. The gesture first went viral during the pandemic and is a simple one-handed signal that allows the victims to be aware of those around them of their situation silently.
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A viral hand gesture for domestic violence was able to save the life of this 19-year-old who was allegedly kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend.
According to the New York Post, 31-year-old Johnathon Smith was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated domestic assault after his ex-girlfriend alerted those around her that she was in danger.
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The unnamed woman was reportedly visiting her brother when Smith arrived and the two went away in his vehicle, per The Tennessean.
Lt. Mike Doddo of the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office revealed that while driving on Highway 100, the pair "got into a physical confrontation" inside Smith's truck.
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The teenager asked SMith to stop the truck to which he allegedly responded no and continued to drive recklessly. While driving, Doddo claims that Smith told his ex-girlfriend that "if he couldn’t have her, nobody could have her" and threatened her with a screwdriver.
Smith allegedly pulled up at the Twice Daily gas station and the duo entered the establishment together.
Once inside, the teenager approached the cashier and made a hand gesture to let the person know about her alleged kidnapping.
Desperate to save her life, the teenager opened her hand and then tucked close her four fingers to create a fist. The cashier immediately understood the sign and repeated the action to confirm and the girl nodded in confirmation in response.
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One of the customers inside the store, Eric Streeval, later told WKRN that the woman also looked over at him and mouthed the word "help".
The staff immediately called 911 for help, meanwhile, the cashier tried to stall Smith and told him that the system is don for a while and that he ould have to wait.
However, Doddo said that Smith "caught on to what was going on" and left the store without the woman.
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Luckily, a sheriff's deputy chased Smith in his truck as he sped at 90mph before he crashed into a creek on Bear Valley Road in Dickson County.
He attempted to flee on foot, before being tased and arrested.
The victim was able to save herself without getting any physical harm.
The hand gesture first went viral during the lockdown.
Streeval - who also happens to be a member of a motorcycle group that supports women affected by domestic abuse - later told WKRN: "If you see something, say something.
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"Domestic violence is a bad thing here in Tennessee. The victims, a lot of times they’re too afraid to speak out."
This particular hand signal first went viral back in 2020 after it was highlighted by the Canadian Women's Foundation.
It was established amid the pandemic, with the charity explaining: "Signal for Help is a simple one-handed sign someone can use on a video call. It can help a person silently show they need help and want someone to check in with them in a safe way."
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The signal immediately became a way for people to silently communicate to save themselves from troubling situations.
An example to quote is from last year when an abducted 16-year-old girl was rescued after she used the viral TikTok distress hand signal to catch the attention of a driver.