Tennessee Couple Interacts Repeatedly with Police

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At the age of 19, Amber Freeman married her husband at a free wedding that was hosted for community members in Oregon. She found the marriage through Craigslist, and later was interviewed by a local media outlet for the uniqueness of the situation. Eleven years later, having recently celebrated her 30th birthday, she says that she just knew. Once she met her husband Nels, they realized at once they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.

A few years into their marriage, however, their situation became difficult. No longer able to afford all their bills, but not willing to give up their line of work, Amber and Nels decided to live out of his tractor-trailer for a few years. On weekdays, they would sleep head to toe in a very small bed, meant for only one person. On the weekends, they would try to find a hotel somewhere during their 36-hour mandatory downtime, just so they could put some space between them.

Eating Taco Bell on a regular basis grew tiresome. There weren’t many places they could eat healthy on the road. As such, they decided to find a place to rent outside the Nashville area in early 2020 – not knowing that the coronavirus pandemic would soon follow.

Almost immediately after moving in, Nels found himself out a job. By extension, Amber had no work to do either. She handled all the paperwork necessary to be an owner-operator of a large truck carrying freight across the country.

Nels made do by taking odd jobs wherever he could find them. On one such odd job, he was paid with an old hundred dollar bill. However, when the couple went to spend the bill, the police were called. The bill looked nothing like modern banknotes currently in circulation. Counterfeiting was suspected.

“I was really shaken up about it,” Amber said.

A similar situation occurred when the couple tried to cash a check which had gotten wet while in the car. Once again, the police were called, the check seized. A quick resolution to the problem soon followed. Amber noted that since she and her husband were both white, nothing untoward happened to them.

George Floyd was killed for passing a possible counterfeit twenty-dollar bill at a business called Cup Foods in Minnesota.

“Police brutality is absolutely uncalled for. Our interactions with police were an embarrassment, rather than being handcuffed and murdered.”

Amber and Nels were both able to laugh about the incidents afterward.

What is more, since the pandemic began, concerns have arisen over stolen big rigs. A rash of such thefts occurred in Florida, leading police in Tennessee to ask that Nels’ machine be moved, despite the fact that he had been having trouble finding a place to park it.

Across every interaction with local police officers, nothing significant happened more than a brief period of heightened emotions. Neither Amber nor Nels feared for their lives.

When it comes to the pandemic, another situation that is life-threatening for some people, Amber confessed that she feels a great deal of anxiety over an unpredictable situation. She wants things to return to normal, but she’s not in a hurry to get there.

“Despite everything that is happening, I am trying to stay positive, understanding, and hopeful.”

She describes herself as a professional housewife who, despite her youth, has figured out where she’s going in life and what she wants to do. She carries with her a genial manner and a friendly smile to all who approach. She exudes a special kind of kindness that becomes plain soon after she begins speaking.

About this Author

Winter Trabex

Winter Trabex is a freelance writer from Manchester and regular contributor to Community Voices.