A 19-year-old who was allegedly kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend used a hand signal made popular on TikTok to sign for help.
As reported by the New York Post, 31-year-old Johnathon Smith was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated domestic assault after his ex-girlfriend alerted those around her that she was in danger.
The unnamed Hickman County woman had been visiting her brother on Sunday when Smith arrived and the pair drove away in his vehicle, per The Tennessean.
Lt. Mike Doddo of the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office revealed that while driving on Highway 100, the pair "got into a physical confrontation" inside Smith's truck.
More on this story below:After allegedly asking Smith to let her out of the truck, she was told "no" and continued to drive recklessly. During the drive, Doddo claims that Smith told his ex-girlfriend that "if he couldn’t have her, nobody could have her" and threatened her with a screwdriver.
At around 1:00PM, Smith pulled up at the Twice Daily gas station and the pair entered the establishment together.
While inside, the teen approached the cashier, a made a discreet hand signal to communicate her situation.
Showing the worker her open hand, the woman then tucked her thumb and closed her four fingers over it to create a fist. The casher then repeated the gesture, to which the woman nodded.
One customer inside the store, Eric Streeval, later told WKRN that the woman also looked over to him and mouthed the word "help".
After staff called 911 for help, the cashier attempted to stall Smith by telling him that they were having an issue with the cash register. However, Doddo said that Smith "caught on to what was going on" and left the store without the woman.
Fortunately, a sheriff's deputy was arriving and proceeded to chase Smith in his truck as speeds of 90mph, before he crashed into a creek on Bear Valley Road in Dickson County.
He attempted to flee on foot, before being tased and arrested.
Fortunately, the woman was able to endure the alleged ordeal without being physically harmed.
The gesture first went viral during the pandemic:Streeval - who also happens to be a member of a motorcycle group that supports women affected by domestic abuse - later told WKRN: "If you see something, say something.
"Domestic violence is a bad thing here in Tennessee. The victims, a lot of times they’re too afraid to speak out."
This particular hand signal first went viral back in 2020 after being highlighted by the Canadian Women's Foundation. It was established amid the pandemic, with the charity explaining: "Signal for Help is a simple one-handed sign someone can use on a video call. It can help a person silently show they need help and want someone to check in with them in a safe way."
However, after going viral, the signal has become a way that women can silently communicate their plight.
For example, last year, an abducted 16-year-old girl was rescued after she used the viral TikTok distress hand signal to catch the attention of a driver.
