I've never shared this story. I never thought anyone would believe me or care.
I want to finally share what happened to me probably a little over ten years ago:
I was physically attacked by a crazy older couple who drugged and violated my sister. She called me and the rest of our immediate family (my dad from another neighborhood, and myself, mom, and brother all who lived with my sister who had recently been hired as a server by these people) in the middle of the night begging us for help. We all received separate, desperate, hysterical phone calls and we could tell she was under the influence of something. We all arrived at this pizza shop after hours to get her. The man unlocked the door and let us in. She was completely belligerent and the older couple who owned the restaurant were visibly intoxicated but trying to convince her to get off the floor and leave with her family. She was acting insane and resisting us. While we were trying to get control of her, out of left field, the older woman grabbed me by the hair and there was a brawl. None of us at any time showed any aggression towards these people before this woman attacked me.
I couldn't get this woman off me. My mom was on her trying to get her off me too. I pleaded with her to please let go saying we were going to be here all night. I was exhausted. I could barely breathe. I pushed my fingernails into her face but it didn't hinder her at all. I was stuck. My dad and the male owner started scuffling on the other side of the restaurant. My brother called the cops from outside and when they showed up, we all went out to the sidewalk to talk to them. After seeing the condition of my sister, who was now rolling in piles of garbage bags on the curb like a dying animal, they didn't call an ambulance. They didn't offer to take an official statement from any of us. We told them exactly what happened and why we were all there and they accused us of showing up in a gang to beat two people up. They threatened to arrest us for trespassing even though the predatory couple had unlocked the doors to the restaurant for us and led us in to collect my sister. That was the exact moment I realized cops are useless. I had been so relieved to see them arrive. After 15 mins of this woman holding onto my hair, I thought the good guys were there to save us all. Instead of helping, they accused of us instigating the fight. They saw that the older woman had marks on her face that I had made while trying to push her away from me. They claimed this proved I was the aggressor. Meanwhile I was combing my hair with my fingers and removing what she had detached from my scalp. I was then asked if I wanted to press charges and I said yes. They then told me that if that was my final decision they would arrest me and my whole family. I considered it for a few seconds and looked at each my family member's horrified, pleading faces then said then forget it.
We went home and the violent predators faced no consequences.
It took years but I finally overheard my sister discussing some the details of what she remembered the couple doing with her in the basement in the restaurant that night and they were extremely graphic and disturbing.
After the incident, I was in complete shock and in a very poor mental state for months. I felt there was nothing I could do about any of it. I realized no one is looking out for us. We are all unsafe.
The two cops that changed my entire outlook on law enforcement that night were from the 111th precinct in Queens.