BRADLEY: "The situation was getting out of hand."
THOMAS: "Did you strike her?"
For the first time, Bradley appeared uncertain about how to answer.
He glanced toward the spectators, then toward the clerk, who was still holding her notes.
BRADLEY: "I acted in the course of my duties."
Thomas stared at him.
THOMAS: "You still haven't answered the question."
The corridor fell silent again.
Josephine watched the exchange without interrupting. She did not appear interested in watching Bradley become embarrassed. She wanted the incident addressed properly, and she wanted the record to reflect what had actually happened.
Thomas took a slow breath.
THOMAS: "Madam, are you all right?"
JOSEPHINE: "I am able to continue. I would like the incident documented, the witnesses identified, and the surveillance footage preserved."
THOMAS: "Of course."
He spoke with immediate seriousness.
THOMAS: "I'll make sure the appropriate people are notified."
Bradley shifted his weight.
BRADLEY: "There is no need to turn this into an administrative investigation. I can handle my own report."
Thomas finally turned fully toward him.
THOMAS: "You do not decide whether an incident involving alleged misconduct should be documented."
BRADLEY: "I'm the officer responsible for security in this area."
THOMAS: "And I am a courthouse bailiff. I am telling you that this incident must be recorded accurately."
Bradley's expression hardened.
BRADLEY: "You weren't here when it started."
THOMAS: "No, I wasn't. But I arrived while the incident was still unfolding, and I can see that something serious has happened."
He looked toward Josephine's cheek.
THOMAS: "I can also see that she appears to have been injured."
JOSEPHINE: "The physical injury is not the only issue."
Thomas nodded slowly.
JOSEPHINE: "An officer cannot simply decide that someone is guilty of wrongdoing because he dislikes their answers. He cannot use intimidation as a substitute for a lawful explanation, and he cannot treat a person's dignity as something that can be taken away whenever he becomes angry."
Her words carried through the corridor.
Several spectators nodded.
The young attorney who had been recording the confrontation lowered his phone slightly, but he continued to keep the scene in view.
Bradley looked around at the gathering crowd.
BRADLEY: "This is getting ridiculous. Everyone is acting as though I attacked someone without any reason."
THOMAS: "Then explain your reason."
BRADLEY: "She was acting suspiciously."
THOMAS: "What specifically did she do?"
BRADLEY: "She refused to cooperate."
THOMAS: "What instruction did you give her that she refused to follow?"
Bradley opened his mouth.
For a moment, he seemed ready to repeat the same accusation.
Then he looked at Josephine.
She was watching him with a calmness that made it difficult for him to dismiss her as an angry visitor.
BRADLEY: "She challenged my authority."
Thomas's expression changed.
THOMAS: "Challenging your authority is not the same thing as committing a crime."
BRADLEY: "You weren't there."
THOMAS: "And that is precisely why we need an accurate record of what happened."
The clerk stepped closer, her notebook open.
CLERK: "I heard the argument from inside the courtroom. When I came out, the officer was shouting at her, and she was asking him to explain why he had stopped her."
BRADLEY: "You only heard part of it."
CLERK: "That may be true. But I saw the condition she was in when I arrived, and I heard what she said afterward."
YOUNG ATTORNEY: "I saw him grab her clothing. I also saw him strike her."
Bradley turned sharply.
BRADLEY: "You should be careful about making accusations."
YOUNG ATTORNEY: "I'm telling you what I witnessed."
THOMAS: "No one here should be pressured into changing their account. If there are witnesses, their statements need to be collected independently."
He looked at the young attorney.
THOMAS: "Please remain available to provide a statement."
YOUNG ATTORNEY: "I will."
A woman sitting near the wall raised her hand slightly.
WOMAN: "I saw it too."
Thomas turned toward her.
WOMAN: "I was sitting on the bench. The officer was shouting at her before he hit her. She was telling him to take his hands off her."
Bradley's face flushed.
BRADLEY: "You people are taking everything out of context."
The woman immediately fell silent.
Thomas noticed the change in her expression.
THOMAS: "Ma'am, you have the right to describe what you personally witnessed. No one should intimidate you for doing so."
The woman nodded, visibly relieved.
Josephine watched Thomas carefully.
His conduct was reassuring, but she knew that a proper response required more than a sympathetic conversation in a corridor.