Actually, a lot of states do in fact have allowances for breaking into a vehicle to save a child, and some have them for doing so for any living creature. It's actually more likely that the police that responded didn't follow protocol, or let appearances alter their decision, because people have been tried for criminal neglect for NOT breaking into vehicles to save children. The fact the mother wasn't arrested for leaving her child in the car- which is completely illegal where I live, unless the child is over a certain age and the car is running with working a/c- makes me think the police are at fault here. Considering that, y'know, the kid would probably be dead otherwise.

He should have called the cops immediately, but breaking peoples property to save a life is the right thing to do. If OP hadn't broken the window, the kid could be dead, he should have just called the cops while waiting around instead of twiddling his thumbs. Then he would have a record of the event that didn't start with the mother's call and be in a better position.

By "permission," I was referring to the 911 operator giving OP permission to break the window....

And yes, taking pix of the situ first is always a good idea, too - even if need be with a stranger's phone.

It’s not a no-no if the purpose is to save a life...

Personally don't think he should have waited, the two mins it would have taken to call and get permission could have been too long before the child got sicker or worse

saving a life is legally justified

OP is on probation because of this incident, not before.

You can't have a probation violation without first being on probation.

Problem is, depending on how the 911 operator prioritized it and how long it would take the police to arrive, it could have been too late. OP should have taken pictures of the child in the car, called 911, let them know he was going to smash the window to help the kid, and then done so. And then called child protective services while waiting for the police.

You should've called the cops ASAP when you saw this. Not have the cops called by the mother. And where are you that it's so hot you need to rescue a child/pet from the car? It's cold here on the east coast!

The "reasonable amount of time" doesn't apply when the person or animal is unresponsive or in obvious distress. It's spring in the Southern Hemisphere right now, and even in the USA, including the East Coast, cars that are exposed to even mild sunlight can heat up inside extremely quickly, and heat becomes dangerous to experience for prolonged periods around 80°F. That temperature is even lower for "at risk" groups- children, the elderly, people that have disorders that interfere with temperature regulation, and people prone to dehydration. It's also likely that OP- being on probation and thus having been on the wrong side of the law before- didn't think to call the police, because- as was the case- police officers tend to take the "arrest first, ask questions way later" approach when dealing with people with criminal records. Add in that it's an unfortunately very imbedded part of American culture to be wary of the police, particularly if one is a minority, and OP was likely hoping that the police wouldn't be involved out of fear. It's also possible the OP didn't have a working cellphone at the time, and was worried that they would be mistaken for a kidnapper if they carried the kid off to find a phone they could use.