Seattle Police Officer Eric Michl Used Selfie To Retrieve Uber Rider’s Purse
Seattle PD Officer Eric Michl’s selfie.
Officer Eric Michl Recovers Purse With Selfie
Seattle Police Officer Eric Michl used the power of persuasion and a timely selfie in helping return the property of a ride-share passenger.
According to a statement released by the Seattle Police Department, on Sunday, a woman was with a group of friends as they took a ride from a ride-share operator.
Q13 Fox TV reported that the driver worked for Uber. Once at their destination, the woman realized that she had left her purse and wallet in the vehicle. She contacted the driver asking that he return her items because she was scheduled to fly home later that day, and even offered to pay the additional fare.
That sounds like a reasonable request and any honest person would have certainly done the right thing after realizing the importance and value the customer’s wallet and purse had to her.
Offering to pay the additional fare would ensure that he wouldn’t lose money on the gesture. But apparently the driver lacked the qualities required to have made the right choice. Instead of agreeing to the distraught customer’s plea, he made the misguided decision to try and extort her, demanding even more money to have him return the property to her. That’s when SPD Officer Eric Michl stepped in.
Officer Michl, a member of the DUI Traffic Squad was working in the area when he was approached by the victim at around 2 AM. The distraught woman explained her dilemma and the officer attempted to call the driver, but the call went to voicemail.
Officer Michl must have attended verbal judo training at some point in his career because his next move was a testament to the power of persuasion. The quick thinking officer sent the driver a text message explaining to him that he could potentially be arrested and have his car impounded if he didn’t return the woman’s property.
To hammer home the point and to ensure that the driver knew exactly who was sending the text message, Officer Michl attached a selfie of him in full uniform.
Apparently that was all it took to turn an opportunistic bone head into a law-abiding citizen. The driver immediately returned the woman’s purse and claimed that he had been busy taking other fares.
The driver wasn’t arrested, mainly because the potential victim was from out of town, but according the SPD, the case remains open.
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