She wanted to know whether he would reconsider his behavior when faced with a person who asked for nothing more than an explanation.
And most importantly, she wanted the entire encounter documented.
Sarah reached toward her purse.
Miller immediately reacted.
"Don't move your hands!"
She stopped.
"My identification is in my purse."
"Keep your hands where I can see them."
"I am telling you what I am reaching for."
"Don't reach for anything."
Sarah slowly moved her hand away from the purse.
"Then tell me how you want me to provide identification."
Miller stared at her.
For several seconds, neither person moved.
The shoppers continued recording.
A man near the elevator whispered to his wife that the officer seemed to be going too far. The woman beside him nodded but did not approach.
Nobody wanted to become the next target of the officer's anger.
Finally, Miller stepped slightly to the side.
"Take your identification out slowly."
Sarah opened her purse with deliberate movements.
She removed a small leather wallet and carefully opened it.
Inside were several cards, including her driver's license and an official identification card.
She held them at chest level.
Miller looked at the first card.
Then he looked at the second.
His expression changed.
The official identification carried a seal and a designation he immediately recognized.
Sarah Vance.
United States District Judge.
For a moment, Miller said nothing.
He looked from the card to Sarah's face, then back to the identification.
The woman he had just slapped and threatened was not simply a shopper who happened to know something about the law.
She was a federal judge.
Miller's hand slowly lowered.
Sarah watched his reaction.
"Now," she said calmly, "would you like to explain what legal basis you had for stopping me?"
The officer did not answer immediately.
His eyes moved toward the people holding their phones.
He suddenly seemed much more aware of the cameras around him.
The older man with the shopping cart was still watching.
The young woman beside the vehicle had not lowered her phone.
And the officer's own body camera was still attached to the front of his uniform.
Miller swallowed.
"You're a judge?"
Sarah held the identification steady.
"That is what the card says."
He looked at the badge again.
"Federal?"
"Yes."
Miller's face tightened.
He had expected the identification to belong to a lawyer, perhaps an employee of some government agency.
He had not expected to see the title of a federal judge.
For the first time since approaching her, he seemed unsure of what to do next.
But Sarah was not finished.
She returned the identification to her wallet and placed it carefully back inside her purse.
"Officer Miller, I want you to understand something. My position does not give me permission to ignore the law. It does not make me more deserving of respect than anyone else in this parking garage."
She paused.
"What it does mean is that I understand the limits of your authority."
Miller looked down at his radio.
Sarah continued.
"You had an opportunity to explain why you approached me. You chose not to. You had an opportunity to ask questions professionally. Instead, you threatened me. And when I asked you to identify the legal basis for your actions, you struck me."
Miller shifted his weight.
"I was trying to maintain control of the situation."
"Control of what situation?"
He looked toward the open trunk.
Sarah followed his gaze.
The expensive shopping bags remained where she had placed them. Nothing inside the vehicle suggested that a crime had occurred.
"Did you see me steal anything?" she asked.
"No."
"Did you receive a report that this vehicle was stolen?"
"No."
"Did I threaten you?"
Miller hesitated.
"That's not what I'm saying."
"Then what are you saying?"
The officer looked increasingly uncomfortable.
He glanced toward the parking garage entrance as another patrol vehicle appeared in the distance.
The second officer had arrived.
His name was Officer James Carter, a forty-seven-year-old veteran of the department who had spent most of his career working patrol and community response.
Carter parked behind Miller's vehicle and stepped out.
He immediately noticed the gathering crowd.
Then he noticed Sarah standing beside the open SUV.
Finally, he noticed Miller's tense posture.
"What's going on?"
Miller turned toward him.
"Possible disturbance. I was trying to identify the driver."
Carter looked at Sarah.
"Ma'am, are you all right?"
Sarah took a moment before answering.
"I would like someone to explain why I was approached and why this officer struck me."
Carter's expression changed.
He looked at Miller.
"You struck her?"
Miller responded too quickly.
"She was refusing to cooperate."
Carter glanced at the people recording.
"That's not what I asked."
Miller said nothing.
Sarah remained composed.
"My name is Sarah Vance. I have already shown Officer Miller my identification. I would like the incident number, the names of every officer involved, and confirmation that the recordings from their body cameras will be preserved."
Carter looked at her identification.
He recognized the title immediately.