He mentioned a possible traffic concern and suggested that the interaction had escalated because the driver refused to follow instructions.
Price listened without interrupting.
SERGEANT PRICE: "Did you request money from the driver?"
GRANT: "No. I did not request money."
Victoria heard the denial through the open window.
She felt anger rise in her chest, but she forced herself to remain still.
The demand had been unmistakable.
Two thousand dollars.
Not a written fine, not an official payment through a recognized process, but money that Miller wanted her to hand over directly.
She had heard every word.
Brooks had heard at least part of the exchange.
The fact that Miller was now denying it did not make it disappear.
Sergeant Price turned toward Victoria.
SERGEANT PRICE: "Ms. Hayes, I understand you've made an allegation about this stop. I want to hear your account, but first I need to know whether you require immediate medical assistance."
VICTORIA: "My neck hurts where he grabbed me. I would like to have it examined."
SERGEANT PRICE: "We'll arrange the appropriate assistance. Are you comfortable explaining what happened?"
VICTORIA: "Yes. I want the report to include everything."
Price nodded and asked her to begin at the point when she first noticed the police cruiser.
Victoria described the flashing lights, the vehicle blocking her path, Miller's approach, and the request for her license and registration.
She explained that she had complied without argument.
She described how the officer asked about her occupation and whether she carried cash, followed by his demand for two thousand dollars.
She repeated the words as accurately as she could remember them.
Then she explained her refusal.
VICTORIA: "I told him that if I had committed an offense, he could issue a ticket and explain the charge. He told me to get my purse and give him the money. When I refused, he tried to take the purse from me."
SERGEANT PRICE: "Did you attempt to strike him or physically attack him?"
VICTORIA: "No. I pulled my purse toward myself because he was trying to take it. Then I reached for my phone. He grabbed my wrist and demanded the phone. When I tried to get it back, he grabbed my throat."
Price listened carefully.
VICTORIA: "I tried to push his hand away. I told him to let go. Officer Brooks ordered him to release me, and then he pulled Miller away from the window."
Price glanced toward Brooks.
SERGEANT PRICE: "Is that consistent with what you witnessed?"
BROOKS: "Yes, Sergeant. I saw Officer Miller reach into the vehicle and grab Ms. Hayes by the throat. I intervened and separated them."
Miller shook his head.
GRANT: "You're leaving out the part where she was resisting."
BROOKS: "She was trying to get away from your grip."
GRANT: "You weren't inside the car."
BROOKS: "I was standing directly behind you."
SERGEANT PRICE: "Enough. Both of you will have an opportunity to provide complete statements."
Price turned back toward Victoria.
SERGEANT PRICE: "You also reported a demand for money. Is there any recording or other evidence that may help establish what happened?"
VICTORIA: "I don't know whether your body cameras were recording. I have a phone, but I didn't start recording before he grabbed me. I want the body-camera footage preserved and reviewed."
SERGEANT PRICE: "That request will be documented. The relevant recordings and reports will need to be handled through the proper process."
Victoria nodded.
SERGEANT PRICE: "Did you give Officer Miller any money?"
VICTORIA: "No."
SERGEANT PRICE: "Did he take any money from you?"
VICTORIA: "He tried to take my purse, but he never got the money. I refused to give it to him."
Price wrote something in his notes.
SERGEANT PRICE: "And you contacted the FBI?"
VICTORIA: "Yes. I reported the incident and asked for guidance about what to do next."
Price did not react with the same alarm Miller had displayed.
SERGEANT PRICE: "All right. We'll document that as well."
Victoria looked at the sergeant carefully.
She knew that a supervisor's presence did not guarantee justice. A formal report was only the beginning, and an official process could still become complicated.
But at least the facts were being recorded by someone who had not participated in the original confrontation.
Price asked a few additional questions about the location, the time, and the position of the vehicles. He also requested that Victoria identify any visible injuries or areas of discomfort.
When she described the pain around her neck, he advised her to receive a medical evaluation and to report any worsening symptoms.