Police here in Texas do love their new toy -- the Taser gun. Some of them take any and every opportunity to use it, even though it has resulted in hundreds of deaths across the country. But this story takes the cake. A Constable in Travis County (Texas) has tasered a 72 year-old woman who was stopped on a traffic violation. Here's The Raw Story account of the incident (you can click on the link and see a video of the whole thing):
"The police claim that after Kathryn Winkfein was stopped for driving 15 miles over the speed limit in a construction zone, she disobeyed an order to sign the speeding ticker, used profane language, and became 'violent.' They say the officer who tasered her and took her to be booked for resisting arrest was completely justified.
However, Winkfein says that’s a lie, and the video appears to back her up.
It shows Constable Richard McCain screaming, 'Get over here now!' Winkfein replies, 'Give [the ticket] to me and I’ll sign it.' Instead, the officer reaches out and pushes her, and she starts complaining, 'Oh, you’re going to shove me? You’re going to shove a seventy-two year old woman?'
McCain then tasers her. As Winkfein lies on the ground screaming, he orders, 'Now put your hands behind your back. Put your hands behind your back or you’re going to be tasered again.'"
Is there any excuse for this kind of behavior by law enforcement? What if the elderly woman had a heart condition, and died when tasered? This officer seems willing to administer the death penalty for a traffic violation.
Personally, I think any officer that can't handle a 72 year-old woman without a taser shouldn't be wearing a badge.
Here we go again when will people listen to what the frindge elements of society have been trying to tell them for years, police have to much power and too little inteligence to use it without abuseing it!!! usualy the actions of the frindge element are used to justify police brutality but in this case no one could possibly use that excuse. Come on people wake up how can this behaviour be ok? how can it be ok to taser an elderly woman? and i am disgusted that the police think we the public are so stupid that we will believe a police officer needed to use a taser to defend himself from an elderly lady. I am so angry i cant even descibe how completely furious, disgusted and disheartened i am by this behaviour and i am not even American. This is clearly a case of a police officer useing excesive force and he should be both fierd and jailed for assault.America wake up and get angry your, how often do your American ideals have to be sullied before you stand up as one and fight back. The police are there to protect you, not to harm you, even if this woman had attacked the officer i dont see that he would need a tazer to defend himself against an elderly lady. This officer was on a power trip, he probably felt this woman wasnt respectful enough and decided that he would force her to respect him through intimidation and violence... when will this type understand that violence doesnt beget respect... only fear , hatred and more violence. Police of the world i ask you to speak out against this behaviour, this is not the apropriate behaviour of a frirst world police service and you should all be as angry as i am to see other officers use such violent tactics and get away with it. For those of you who arent disgusted by these actions let me ask what if this was your mother of grandmother? I also remind you all of the famous poem re the nazis in germany,
ReplyDelete"They came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then... they came for me... And by that time there was no one left to speak up."
Though in modern America it would be more along the lines first they came for the communists, then they came for the drug addicts, then they came for the muslims ..... any way my pont is just because it doesnt effect you doesnt mean you shouldnt get angry. when un just things happen in this world we should stand up and fight no matter what!
Im over it. if we can not do something to get our police force back from the new thug army we deserve what we get. Most of them are are rediculously overwieght, with no secondary education, and accountable to noone outside their department. I do not want rambo redneck protecting me. I think thet let the enforcement title go to thier heads. just makes me sick
ReplyDeleteI'm in no way condoning what the police officer did, but you're not telling the whole story, jobsanger.
ReplyDeleteIn a more complete version of the video, shown on NBC's Today Show this morning, the woman was clearly belligerent to the police officer from the outset, daring him to take her to jail, cursing at him, and finally saying, "I dare you!" when he threatened to tase her.
Should the policeman have taken her up on the dare? No, but I would expect that someone who's been on this earth for more than seven decades would show a little more maturity than she did.
In my 59 years, I gotten two speeding tickets. I didn't much like it, but I was clearly in the wrong, so I took the ticket, sucked it up and moved on.
I never said the woman didn't act inappropriately - just that she should not have been tasered.
ReplyDelete"The police claim ... However, Winkfein says that’s a lie, and the video appears to back her up." [Emphasis added]
ReplyDeleteThat sure sounds to me like you believed her and didn't believe the police.
"What if the elderly woman had a heart condition, and died when tasered?"
Here's a friendly suggestion: If you have a heart condition and get pulled over by the police for speeding, don't dare the officer to taser you, even if you're 100% sure you'll call his bluff.
The video clearly shows her offering to sign the ticket BEFORE she was pushed or tasered. The officer could have let her sign it and gone on, but by that time HE was mad and escalated the situation.
ReplyDeleteYes, the woman acted very poorly, but the officer mishandled the situation and then used his own incompetence to taser a 72 year-old.
If I was his boss, he'd be looking for a new job.
"Personally, I think any officer that can't handle a 72 year-old woman without a taser shouldn't be wearing a badge."
ReplyDeleteThat sums it up. Go on with your cop ass kissing. cause to me electrocuting and old woman ain't right at all.