Went to daycare to grab our daughter because it was my day (sadly the custody arrangement is verbal). Saw STBX walk away with her. Confronted her, she said what are you gonna do, I texted you that I was going to grab her. I blocked her on my phone because she shares screenshots of all of our texts with her friends, using it for daily gossip on her groupchat. Asked our daughter hey do you want horsey, put her on my shoulder. STBX literally grabbed the baby from my shoulder. I tried to stop the stroller, she shoved me out of the way. Argument breaks out.

Then out of nowhere women come to her support, saying are you okay, do you feel safe, I am here just watching. STBX says oh it is just family drama, haha. There are women giving me death glare. I walk away.

Then I call the police. I tell them about the incident, all the abusive stuff she did in the past like yelling at me with a knife in hand and blocking me from leaving rooms while yelling etc. They take me seriously, take my statement, says they are going to charge her with assault for the shoving and pushing so she has to stay away from me and can't retaliate knowing I called the police. I said I don't want her arrested because I was somehow more scared of that, but they said it was their decision and not mine to make. We are waiting for them to contact her, I sit on the stairs crying.

STBX and baby comes home (we still live together but sleep separately). They finally talk to her for like 5min and decide it was all a nothingburger. Shoving suddenly isn't enough for assault, custody arrangement is verbal so it doesn't count. Tells us to figure out custody arrangement with lawyer and try not to be dicks to each other for kid's sake.

STBX has always been physically aggressive knowing that, as a man, I can't retaliate. In fact, when she yelled at me with a knife in her hand, and I told her I don't feel safe, she got really mad saying "you are pulling some woman shit". Now that she knows what she can get away with, I know she will retaliate in some way in the next week. Last time, she blocked me from exiting bedroom while yelling "don't touch me, you are assaulting me" and that gave me a panic attack and I had to go to psych emergency room where they told me there is nothing they can do. Even if she is walking away with baby on my day with her, strangers will take her side. Police don't think this is a big deal. $500/hr divorce lawyer can't be contacted because incident happend after 5pm on a Friday. I feel so, so powerless. Nobody gives a shit.