Texas Cop Tasers 72-year-old Great Grandmother

hey_moe · Jun 10, 2009

She is a tad bit cocky...lol ...do ya think she asked for it >> http://www.infowars.com/texas-cop-tasers-72-year-old-great-grandmother/

Quixoticish · Jun 10, 2009

Are police really that poorly trained these days that they can't restrain an angry elderly woman without resorting to a taser?

The mind boggles when you see how often and how inappropriately tasers are used, it seems not a week goes by without a video surfacing of completely excessive use of force from police around the world.

Lionheart · Jun 10, 2009

Take that dude out and either shoot him or tesser him for an hour...

Far too many idiots these days that are given badges...

That is sickening to watch.

Bill

stansdds · Jun 10, 2009

It seems to be a growing problem in this country and not everyone has the physical skills and aptitude to be a police officer.

hey_moe · Jun 10, 2009

If ya go back to that site and scroll down a bit you will see where a guy was killed by a officer using one.

Z-PurpleBubble · Jun 10, 2009

Chill Pill

Clearly there are quite a few officers over there in dire need of Panther's "Chill Pill"

Don't these people get screened? I mean, someone who would resort to that kind of violence towards an elderly woman clearly should not be in the force?

That guy clearly merrits the name "pig"!!

I'll get off me :a1451:

now...

tigisfat · Jun 10, 2009

I commend this officer. Maybe the problem is that everyone thinks they don't have to crap from anyone these days. Every single person an officer comes across wants to scquare off with themm? It's time to think about their safety, and they have a right to jump immediately to non-lethal stopping force. Police officers are more educated and better screened than they ever have been, just like the modern professional military. The difference is that now there are cameras watching everything officers do.

:medals:

Toastmaker · Jun 10, 2009

Some of you who are quick to insult ("pig") and denigrate police officers in general should take the time to learn the facts prior to your judgement. We offer that "courtesy" to criminals in our justice system so it seems reasonable to offer it to the police as well.

A Taser prevents officers from having to go "hands-on" with unrully subjects and actually reduces the incidents of bruising, fractures, sprains and soft-tissue injuries - on both parties involved. I've been tased during testing. It's more surprising than painful and the effects are very short-lived and allows the subject to be incapacitated briefly and taken into custody without brute physical violence.

jmig · Jun 10, 2009

tigisfat said:
... The difference is that now there are cameras watching everything officers do.

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Toastmaker, you have obviously had police training. I don't know if you are a retired or active office. If so, I commend you. It seems to me being a police officer often is a thankless "can't win" job. I know I could never be one.

I grew up with policemen around. My dad repaired their radios and I would often go with him to the station, or the motorcycle cops would come over to the house. As a boy, I got to know quite a few of them and admired many of them.

That being said, I feel like too many policemen are just schoolyard bullies with badges. Police officers are usually poorly paid and spend long hours doing a dangerous job. I see more and more kinds of police, local, county, state, etc. The better ones usually move on to the better paying positions in the State Police or other areas. This often leaves the, "I can't find any other job" individual filling these positions.

Then consider that 90% of his or her day is dealing with anti-social, malcontents or worst. It can lead to a rather jaundice point of view of humanity in general. Now, you have a young person, who may or may not be a punk with a badge, often with little training who has a badge, gun and now a Taser. It only takes a few bad apples to give the entire force a bad name.

Tasering troubles me. It is too easy for a cop to Taser someone rather than try and talk to him or deal with him in a non-violent way. More and more, you read stories like the one above. I am not trying to judge the individuals involved. I am just thinking that I see a lot of smoke in this tasering issue. Usually, where there is smoke there is fire.

Lionheart · Jun 10, 2009

tigisfat said:
I commend this officer. Maybe the problem is that everyone thinks they don't have to crap from anyone these days. Every single person an officer comes across wants to scquare off with themm? It's time to think about their safety, and they have a right to jump immediately to non-lethal stopping force. Police officers are more educated and better screened than they ever have been, just like the modern professional military. The difference is that now there are cameras watching everything officers do.

Whats your point?

We 'should' zap little old ladies with 40,000 volts of electricity because they didnt sign the ticket?

heh

n4gix · Jun 10, 2009

It matters not one bit what happened beforehand...

The moment the elderly woman clearly stated, "Give me the ticket. I'll sign it," that should have ended the constable's actions. Instead, he continued to escalate the situation with continued agressive action.

A close viewing of the complete dashcam video reveals that she clearly stated three times "Give me the ticket. I'll sign it" before the deputy constable shoved her back, then drew his taser!

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/news/local/060809_Video_Released_of_Grandma_Being_Tased

Use of a taser is intended to be used as an instrument of next-to-last resort, not as a primary means of coercion. In other words, the constable should not have drawn it at all. If he can't control an elderly woman, he has no business whatever being in law enforcement.

BTW, in Texas you are not required to sign a ticket, so why was he so insistent?

flyboyhunt05 · Jun 10, 2009

n4gix said:
BTW, in Texas you are not required to sign a ticket, so why was he so insistent?

I am not sure on that. In my Criminal Justice classes here in Texas, we are told that if the subject does not sign the ticket, they are to be taken into custody and held until the court date. The signing of the ticket is just a promise to appear, but it is also a PR Bond which allows the person receiving the ticket to stay out of jail if they sign the ticket. If they refuse to sign, they have no bond, in which the person is required to be placed into custody.

EDIT- That being said, I still think the police officer majorly overreacted. There was no reason to get that mad and have the event escalate to that level.

Lionheart · Jun 10, 2009

Incredible...

Tessering a little old lady over a signature, and she was trying to sign it..

Remind me not to drive through Texas...

EDIT: So, ok.. Lets say the officer was in a bad mood, wanted to teach this lady a lesson for not being intimidated, and decided he was going to take her in, and wasnt about to let her sign it now, and his last resort was to shock her with 40,000 volts so he could prove what a man he is out there in the middle of a highway, him and her...

Lets go back a step. What if she firmly believed she was innocent of 'said' ticket and felt she was being pushed around by a 'bad cop' (not a good cop, but a cop that is doing someone wrong and giving them a ticket for something they 'know' they didnt do).

Where is the law then?

Cratermaker · Jun 10, 2009

I was wondering how it escalated myself, after she said she would sign the ticket?!? In any case, it's now a PR disaster for the officer and the people that sign his paychecks. I think a little more training is warranted for that officer at the least.

Expect a news release from that department any time now that procedures have been "reviewed" and will be changed accordingly.

airfighterjohn · Jun 10, 2009

Remind me not to drive through Texas...

...That's why I hang my hat in Tennessee... :icon_lol:

airfighterjohn · Jun 10, 2009

Amazingly, according to Good Morning America the law enforcement agency in question fully supports the actions of this officer. Footage also showed the woman shove the officer FIRST, then showed HIM grab her to keep her from running out into the freeway. If that had been a younger male, they would have shot him dead for such a thing. Being a 72 year old great grandmother does not excuse her from the laws, regardless of the state where she lives. Incidentally, she also refused to speak with interviewers after the police released the tapes showing the actions that brought this on. They also said she was being charged with resisting arrest (a felony in Texas) and charges for assault on a law enforcement officer were being considered..... :kilroy:

Barvan40 · Jun 10, 2009

The officer placed the woman under arrest for refusing to sign the ticket. Once out of her car she changes her mind and now wants to sign it. There is no such thing as un-arresting a person. In most jurisdictions once under arrest the charges can only be dropped by the prosecutor or the court.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com

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When the officer tries to handcuff her she resists, which is itself an arrestable offense, and then attempts to walk into the traveled portion of the road to get back to her car. He pushes her back to prevent her from getting hit by traffic. She continues to resist and refuses to cooperate. She is the one who crossed the line and should have made her argument in court; you don't argue your "case" by the side of the road.<o

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The taser is not a weapon of last resort, his firearm is the weapon of last resort. The taser is a non lethal way of controlling a combative person. The use of the taser has killed people and is not without danger, but so is wrestling around with an elderly person. The chance of causing injury, possibly severe, is likely.<o

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It is easy to Monday morning quarterback this, and the officer could have been more tactful about how he dealt with her during the initial verbal confrontation. But the responsibility in this case lies with the woman. She could have simply signed the ticket and be on her way. The officer reacted to her actions and only resorted to using the taser when she physically resisted arrest. In the end nobody was seriously hurt, she was arrested and now will have her day in court.<o

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deathfromafar · Jun 10, 2009

I don't condone either side of this. The demeanor and actions of the woman were no doubt bad. However, the Officer's actions will likely be viewed as excessive in both Criminal and Civil Court. In the court of public opinion, this is a lost case already.

johnh_049 · Jun 10, 2009

Lionheart said:
Incredible...

Tessering a little old lady over a signature, and she was trying to sign it..

Remind me not to drive through Texas...

EDIT: So, ok.. Lets say the officer was in a bad mood, wanted to teach this lady a lesson for not being intimidated, and decided he was going to take her in, and wasnt about to let her sign it now, and his last resort was to shock her with 40,000 volts so he could prove what a man he is out there in the middle of a highway, him and her...

Lets go back a step. What if she firmly believed she was innocent of 'said' ticket and felt she was being pushed around by a 'bad cop' (not a good cop, but a cop that is doing someone wrong and giving them a ticket for something they 'know' they didnt do).

Where is the law then?

ok, don't drive through Texas speeding, refuse to sign the ticket, get out of the car trying to fight the cop, shoving the cop. i think he tried his best to defuse the situation, but she wasn't having any of it. after she shoved him the first time, he was within his rights to use any force he deemed neccessary to end the confrontation.

(and by the way, by the time she agreed to sign the ticket, she was already under arrest. just for the record.)

*edit*
and by the way, signing a ticket is not an admission of guilt, it's a promise to appear in court.

Barvan40 · Jun 10, 2009

deathfromafar said:
However, the Officer's actions will likely be viewed as excessive in both Criminal and Civil Court. In the court of public opinion, this is a lost case already.

But that is because of the way the media reported it. The court will get to see and hear the entire video and won't make their judgement from the edited (language) for morning t.v. little snippets shown by Fox News.

In the eyes of the law the force continuum used by the officer was correct, he went from verbal, to attempting to restrain her, to using a non lethal weapon (taser, baton or pepper spray) to make the arrest. That is by the book. You may not like the book, but that is what we (by electing the lawmakers who write the book) have given our law enforcement officers to use.

Unfortunately there is nothing in the book about common sense. Seems if both of them had used just a little, things would not have gone this way.

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