Featured Image Credit: Indian River County Sheriff's Office
Topics: Amazon, News, US News, Domestic Abuse
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: Amazon, News, US News, Domestic Abuse
An Amazon driver may have ended up saving a woman’s life according to police after reacting to a customer in distress.
Last month, the driver - whose identity has not been revealed - called 911 to report a woman had whispered 'help me' while making a delivery to her home in Indian River County, Florida.
Speaking to a police dispatcher, the driver said: “She came to me and she said, 'If I can ask you a favor to call the police to come to her house'. I don't know what happened exactly.”
He added that the woman attempted to speak to him during his delivery without drawing attention to the fact she was talking to him. He added that a man was in the house with her.
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On March 28, authorities visited the undisclosed address and found a couple sitting on the front porch.
The female of the couple was the same woman that asked the driver to call for help and police realized that she had red marks on her neck and looked distressed.
Authorities also confirmed that 43-year-old Frank Mandolini was arrested by deputies felony domestic battery charge.
When the pair were separated, the woman spoke to officers about an alleged domestic incident.
She told them that she had accused Mandolini of using his phone and tablet to communicate with other women or view pornography.
She alleged that when accused, he got angry, grabbed her by the neck dragged her to the floor, and started to squeeze her neck until she began to lose consciousness and nearly blacked out.
Mandolini confessed to choking the woman but insisted that he did not make her lose her breath.
Amazon spokesman Austin Stowe issued a statement on the incident and said drivers are especially trained to deal with serious situations.
He said: “All drivers delivering on behalf of Amazon undergo comprehensive training in de-escalation techniques and safety protocols.
“In the rare event that a driver encounters an issue during their delivery [they are able to contact a 24/7 Amazon Safety Helpline for immediate assistance]."
He added that in the past, Amazon has recognized employees for their ‘heroic’ actions.
Sheriff Eric Flowers offered up similar praise for the driver.
He said: “That guy's truly a hero. This guy probably saved her life. Kudos to him."
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247