Woman Rescued In Tennessee After Using Popular Hand Signal From TikTok

A woman in Tennessee was rescued from a scary situation after using a hand signal that has gained popularity on TikTok.

According to WKRN, Hickman County deputies received a call from a convenience store about a woman who was potentially in a domestic violence situation after she told someone in the store that she was being kidnapped.

Officers responded to the scene where they followed the suspected truck on a pursuit for about 15 minutes before it crashed into a creek in Dickson County. The woman was uninjured, and the driver, identified as 31-year-old Jonathan Smith, was tased as he tried to run and taken into custody.

Witnesses said she gave the hand signal — crossing her thumb over her palm and covering her thumb with her other four fingers — that has made waves on the social media platform to indicate that the signer needs help during a case of domestic violence.

"If you see something, say something. Domestic violence is a bad thing here in Tennessee," said Eric Steeval, a customer who noticed that the woman was asking for help. "The victims, a lot of the times they're too afraid to speak out. And I credit the young lady in this situation with having the world's most courage of actually speaking out because who knows what would have happened."

Smith is charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated domestic assault, however investigators said other charges are pending.

If you are in a domestic violence situation, you are not alone. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is free and confidential 24/7. Call 800-799-7233, text SMART to 88788 or visit the website here to chat with someone live.