And Reed had fallen beside the patrol car before other officers moved in to restrain him.
The plaza was no longer filled with people merely wondering what had happened. It was becoming a place where witnesses were beginning to describe what they had seen.
Brooks remained focused on the task.
He did not raise his voice or make dramatic declarations. He understood that his responsibility was to gather information, protect the people involved, and ensure that the incident received appropriate attention.
He turned toward one of the responding officers.
SERGEANT WILLIAM BROOKS: "Make sure we have the names and contact information of the available witnesses. Keep the walkway clear, and document what happened here."
OFFICER: "Understood, Sergeant."
The officer moved toward the witnesses.
Brooks then looked at Marcus.
SERGEANT WILLIAM BROOKS: "Mr. Hill, I appreciate you staying here. I may need to ask you a few more questions about the confrontation."
MARCUS HILL: "That's fine. I'll tell you what I saw."
SERGEANT WILLIAM BROOKS: "Please stick to what you personally witnessed. If there is something you didn't see, just say so."
MARCUS HILL: "I understand."
Marcus appreciated the directness of the instruction.
He did not want to exaggerate what had happened or claim to know what Reed had been thinking. He had seen the slap, heard Margaret's question, and watched the confrontation escalate. Those were the facts he could describe.
He also understood that the fall beside the patrol car had happened quickly.
He had not approached Reed intending to fight him. He had wanted the officer to explain why he had struck Margaret, but the exchange had escalated before either man could bring it under control.
MARCUS HILL: "I wasn't trying to take him down. He moved toward me, and I stepped back. Then he lost his balance."
Brooks nodded.
SERGEANT WILLIAM BROOKS: "That's what we need to establish. Thank you for being clear."
Marcus looked toward Margaret again.
She was standing quietly beside the sergeant, holding her handbag with both hands. Her expression remained unsettled, and she seemed to be trying to absorb everything that had happened.
MARCUS HILL: "Is there somewhere she can sit down?"
Brooks glanced around the plaza.
SERGEANT WILLIAM BROOKS: "We'll arrange somewhere for her to sit and make sure she has assistance if she needs it."
Marcus nodded.
It was a simple request, but it reminded everyone that Margaret was not merely a witness in an incident report. She was an elderly woman who had been struck and left shaken by an encounter she had never expected.
Brooks turned toward one of the nearby courthouse security officers and asked whether there was a suitable place where Margaret could rest away from the crowd.
The security officer indicated a sheltered area near the entrance.
Before Margaret moved, Brooks asked whether she felt able to walk there.
MARGARET COLE: "Yes. I think I can."
SERGEANT WILLIAM BROOKS: "All right. We'll walk with you."
Margaret began moving toward the courthouse entrance at a careful pace. Marcus walked a short distance behind her, while Brooks remained beside her.
The people gathered near the barriers gradually made room.
Some watched in silence. Others lowered their eyes as Margaret passed, perhaps embarrassed that they had witnessed her distress without knowing what to do.
Margaret noticed their expressions but did not stop.
She had spent years trying to be considerate toward other people. She had offered help when neighbors needed groceries carried upstairs, checked on elderly friends who lived alone, and made a habit of treating strangers with patience.
She had never imagined that a moment of vulnerability would leave so many people uncertain about how to respond.
As she approached the entrance, she glanced back toward the patrol car.
Reed remained beside the officers who had restrained him.
The distance between them was only a few yards, yet the circumstances seemed entirely different from what they had been minutes earlier.
Margaret had approached the courthouse as an ordinary visitor.
Reed had stood there as a uniformed officer.
Now Margaret was being accompanied to a quieter place while the officer's conduct was being examined by his own colleagues.
The reversal did not make Margaret feel powerful.
It made her feel tired.
She wanted to sit down, drink some water, and understand what she was supposed to do next.
Inside the sheltered area, a courthouse employee brought her a chair and a glass of water.
Margaret sat down slowly.