This is Savannah Phelps, and trust me, this call takes a turn. On Saturday, May 31st, 2025, around 7:33 p.m., Ottawa police in Illinois were called to a home on Sycamore Street for a physical domestic [music] involving a mother and a daughter. Sounds like a pretty straightforward call, right? [music] Well, not for long. What started as an investigation quickly turned into a standoff. [music] Up to this point, nobody had even said, "Put your hands behind your back." So, what changed everything? Watch this. >> Why is she doing this to me? >> Okay, hold on. What's going on? >> I DON'T KNOW. >> HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON? >> YEAH, I KNOW YOU >> I [crying] HATE HER. >> HEY. >> I HATE MY MOM. >> HEY, HEY, HEY. >> I >> HEY, HEY. HEY. >> COME with me, please. I'm not a >> I need you to take a breath, okay? >> That's supposed to be my mom. I have no one to turn to but her. >> Okay. >> It's your >> Hey, hey. I want you to stay here. I don't want you to go back in right now, okay? >> See, I don't have anything against her. I've never I see What's your name? >> I always have hated >> [crying] >> Can you take a breath for me, okay? >> fair. >> Hey, what's your >> This is my mom's house. >> What happened? >> Nothing. She's getting taken care of by A WHITE MAN. SO, ALL THIS TIME, she don't care about me. Oh, now I can I go to jail? >> OKAY. >> BECAUSE SHE GOT A WHITE BOYFRIEND. WHATEVER, BRO. It's okay, Roscoe. Shh. It's okay. It's okay. >> What happened leading up to this? Hold Hey. I need you to step out here. >> IT'S IS MOM'S HOUSE. >> I WANT TO TALK TO YOU out here, okay? >> Oh yeah. I have nowhere else to go. My mom >> I'm not saying hey hey I'm not saying you have to leave right now, okay? I just need to TALK TO YOU. >> I HAVE A LIVE-IN BOYFRIEND AND I HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. Shut up. Leave her alone. No, leave her alone. It's okay. Leave her alone. >> What Wait, what's your name? >> I'm Sandy's daughter. >> What's your name? >> How do I have nowhere to go but I have >> Hey hey you stop yelling at her. >> THAT'S MY MOM. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? >> I GET YOU UP. >> BE QUIET, ROSCOE. It's okay. >> What's your name? >> It's my mom's house. >> BE QUIET. I GET to her at your mom's house, okay? >> I'm in my mom's house. My mom's house. >> Do you live here? >> I'll never live here. >> Stop walking away from me. >> have put a man over me. No, DON'T TOUCH ME. I'M NOT A RESISTING DON'T TOUCH ME. NO, PLEASE. GET OFF ME. >> I'M NOT GET ON THE >> NO, NO. I'M not resisting. I swear to god. >> now. >> No, I'm not on probation. I'm No, I'M NOT. >> MOM, MY [screaming] MOM'S HOUSE. >> PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. >> NO, I'M NOT. >> PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR >> I'M NOT RESISTING. >> PUT YOUR hands behind YOUR BACK. >> MOMMY. MOMMY. OPEN THE WINDOW, MOMMY. NO, MOMMY. I'M NOT ON NO, MOMMY. NO, MOMMY. >> LISTEN, YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO THE GROUND. YOU need to go TO THE GROUND. YOU NEED TO GO TO THE GROUND. >> MOMMY. MOMMY. PLEASE, MOMMY. PLEASE, MOMMY. >> [crying] >> She doesn't care about me. I'm sorry for resisting. I'll give it rest you. MOMMY, [crying] MOMMY, PLEASE. MOMMY, MOMMY, >> [crying] >> MOMMY, PLEASE. >> All right, you can roll this towards me here this way, okay? Roll up this way. And then that's your feet. One, two, three. >> That's my mom's house. I see you. >> All right, I'm going to take this from you here. >> This is the only place I run to. Where does she live? Tell you. Where does your mom live? I know where you live. You might already told us far. This is the only place I I'm going to ask you to ask your cousin because you walked away from But my mom, she told the man over there. She doesn't know. Look at your nose. Okay. Okay. Let me breathe real quick. I promise you I'm not going to resist. >> Well, you've already have resisted at this point. >> Okay, because I'm at my mom's house. This place is unsafe. >> Yeah, we're going to get you in the car. >> I'm not I'm NOT UNDER ARREST. >> YEAH, YOU WERE RESISTING. >> NO, I'm not. I'm at my mom's house. I'm at my mom's house. Can you fix my hair, please? I'm not going to resist. I'm not going in the car. I ain't got no warrants. I have nothing on me. >> Well, you are going to get in the car. >> I'm at my mom's house. I promise you I'm not under arrest. This is my mom. She is >> We can talk about the mom stuff >> Hey, you What's your name, quicker? >> I don't know yet. >> I'm so sorry that I got to put you through this. >> I don't put you through this. It's our job. >> Can I sit here and stay here? I promise I won't run. >> No. >> I promise I'm not committing a crime. >> You have to sit in the back of the squad car. Have a seat in the back of the squad car. Yes. >> Sit down. I swear to God. I swear to God I won't run. I swear to God. On my son, on my granny, on everything. >> I need you >> I need anything. I promise I don't want to resist. Please. I'm not under arrest. >> With Savannah now secured in the back of the patrol car, it's worth rewinding for a second because this escalated fast. When officers arrived, Savannah was already outside sitting on the ground and crying. They kept asking one basic question, what happened inside? But Savannah never really explained what the original call was about. According to the responding officer's report, when Savannah started walking toward the driveway, the officer grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving during the investigation. Savannah pulled away and that's when the officer reported feeling a fist hit her left cheek. And that right there changed the whole situation. Up until that moment, nothing Savannah had done appeared to be leading toward handcuffs. But once things got physical with an officer, you can probably guess where this was headed. Here's one takeaway after watching calls like this over and over. While officers are still figuring out what happened, work with them. You haven't necessarily been arrested, so why make the situation harder than it already is? And whatever happens next, resisting usually makes everything worse. Being arrested also isn't the same thing as being guilty. That's for a court to decide. We're not here to decide who somebody is as a person, only to look at what the camera shows and the choices made in that moment. So, keep it civil. Now, back to the squad car because there was still one question Savannah wouldn't answer. >> Okay, she clocked me in the face pretty good, but >> Oh, did she do that? >> Yeah, you got a little mark on your chin there. >> Yeah? >> Yeah, you got a little mark on your chin. Make sure you photograph that. She like punch you in the face kind of thing or like >> like a fist. >> Okay. >> That's why I originally started to grab her. She kept walking away from me, I grabbed her and that's when she started swinging. >> Got you. I guess you were like walking away from me and whatnot through the window, that's why I came out there, but yeah, I mean it's aggravated battery, she hit you in the face. >> Uh >> You got you look like you got a fingernail must have got you or something on your chin part there where you can see it. >> It's not like you're not bleeding or anything, but you got a really you got to really mark there. >> Okay, I saw she broke off something and then I was going to get her to the ground, but >> Yeah. But she just I think she put her hand in her hoodie pocket and I couldn't get it out then. She could have rubbed it onto it. Well, if you want, you got to take her down to PD for the aggravated battery part. Make sure >> I don't know what her name is. I have no idea what happened. All she told me All she would tell me is that >> She punched Megan in the face. She punched Megan in the face. >> She said it was domestic and aggravated or something else. She's drunk as usual. >> Well, I took her to PD with this stuff. Do you know this girl's daughter's name? I don't know her daughter's name. >> Nope, I know her son, Shawn Phelps. They went to school with him. >> Yeah, I know him. I I don't know the daughter's name. I know I've dealt with her before, I just don't know her name off the top of my head. >> So, she can get charged with domestic and agg batt? >> I agree. No, I told I told Megan I'm like, we're interviewing her in the domestic part back at the PD, but we're going to try to get her booked as well. >> He said she's been staff drinking for 4 weeks and not for today. It's a really different story. >> Now, Megan's got not like a a cut, but like definitely got hit on her part of her chin there. >> I thought I would >> Hey, your daughter's going to jail really quick. Does she have any other property here that she needs? Yeah, but does she have property here that she needs to get? >> Yeah, when you get back to you, we're going to try and try and figure out what happened with this domestic part. If I can hear >> All she Yeah, she All she would tell me is that she was mad that her mom is with the white boy. >> That's the white boy >> I can hear I can hear I heard Eric say something about Cindy having an injury to her arm or something like that. We'll figure more of that in a minute. >> I need to get my hoodie off, please. I need to get my hoodie off. It's really hot in here, please. I have a shirt under here. >> How did you get the seat belt off? >> I didn't >> Well, I put the seat belt on you. You >> Because please, just get the hoodie off. I promise you I'm not trying to escape. Nothing. I have a shirt under here. >> It's showing my my car. My shirt, I mean. Well, please. I'm not under arrest. I'm not on probation. >> arrest. >> For what? >> You hit me in the face. That's aggravated battery and you're resisting arrest. >> sorry. I swear to God. On my son On my son's dad, I'm not trying to cause no extra thing. I'm just I'm just And my mom >> name? >> How sad she hates I just I'm not trying to >> What is your name? >> I don't I'm not putting myself into anything. >> What is your name? >> No, I'm not giving it to you cuz I'm not No, I don't. No, I don't. >> You're going to be charged with obstructing if you don't tell me your name. >> You can if you want to, but I didn't mean to do any of this. >> Again, we're past that. What's your name? >> Okay, I'm sorry that you're going to ruin the rest of my life with this, but I didn't come here for this. I'm sorry. My mom's an alcoholic and she's She did all of this for me. I'm sorry. >> Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Come here real quick. Take my hoodie off. >> Take my hoodie off, please. >> doing it right now. I'll do it in a minute. >> Please, it's hot. Roll my window up. Please. >> I'm going to roll your window up. >> Please, officer. Please, just take my hoodie off. Please. >> doing it right now. I'll do >> I promise you you could check me, everything. Please. >> Get your knee in the car. >> Please, take my hoodie off. >> Get your knee in the car. I'm not arguing. >> Please. I'm not in under arrest. >> Yes, you are. >> No, I'm not. >> Take my hoodie off. >> I promise you. I promise you I'm not obstructing anything. Please. I'm hot. Please. >> I'm going to roll the window down. Okay. You have to stay in the car so I can roll your window down. Do you understand that? >> Yes, ma'am. Can you please take my hoodie, please? >> When we get to the PD, I'm not doing it right now. >> Just sit her back to PD you know what I mean. Let her sit in PD and figure it out in there. Yeah, domestic battery and we'll do we'll do domestic battery and they can do a battery. Listen. >> You've dealt with us before. >> Yeah, I know I have. I don't remember What's your name? I can't remember your name. What's your name? >> You know my mom's >> Who do you want to tell me? I know your name is Savannah Savannah Phelps. Okay, got you. That's I just couldn't remember your name. Listen, you've messed up today. This is dealing with the consequences of this. What do you mean how? We're going to go to PD and talk about it. >> My my stuff My brother just told me he's pregnant with twins. >> 72 >> How did I MESS UP TODAY? I NEVER DID ANYTHING. >> The 95's name is Savannah P. Savannah Phelps. >> Whatever, bro. Whatever. Take my hoodie off, please. I've never I've never done anything ever. When I come to my mom's house it's because I love her. Love her. Mom, she didn't even raise my son. Me and my son over half a year old. My brother just found out he's having twins. I swear to god I know I have a [ __ ] record, but bro, I've never put my hands on my mom ever. Never. I know we have a bad last year or so. >> In the end, Savannah Phelps was arrested at her mother's address and taken to the LaSalle County Jail. She was charged under Illinois law with domestic battery, aggravated battery to a peace officer, and resisting or obstructing a peace officer. She was later released on citations with a mandatory court date of June 20th. On the ride to the jail, Savannah told the officer she never meant to resist. She just didn't believe any of this needed to happen.