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He could have tripped her?

I'm sorry, I'm still getting stuck on the point where the little old lady, ignored the cops verbal instructions and proceeded to have the consequences he'd spelled out for her happen. It's not like he quick drew his taser the second she said fuck and ran 50k volts through her for the hell of it. She had plenty of chances to do as she was told. She didn't. She got tased. Tough shit grandma, next time have a little more respect for what the cops tell you.

Regardless of the type of force the cop chose to use she was informed, ahead of time, what the consequences of non-compliance were. She decided to continue defying the cop. She accepted the consequences of her actions, a tasering. She had the ability to defuse the situation and not get tased at any time. She chose to push it. Therefore I get something else to laugh about today.

What I am saying is, police are trained to stop any threat instantly. she may not have particularly threatened him, but you have no idea how strong that old woman would be. I know an old lady that could quite easily pick me up with her hands if she seriously wanted to. You cant just judge cause she's old. If she is being aggresive, she is adopting a threatening posture, inviting him to eliminate that percieved threat. It may be a little heavy handed, but I'm sure as hell she wont do it again.

I don't think the cop did wrong after he said that I think by saying what would happen he errored. The mere sight of a night stick might have caused her to calm down. Just pulling one out can be pretty intimidating. I think he jumped to the threat of a taser without exhausting his other means. Now yes after he said he'd use it and she continued to berate him then yes she was asking for it. But he shouldn't have jumped to the taser like some safety blanket whenever he gets a rude citizen.

There's also the possibility that she herself could be armed. While he's doing his judo trip, she might have mace, her own taser, a knife, or even a gun on her. If she's belligerent and non-compliant and the cop has to step up to physically making someone do as they're told they're not going to dick around about it.

She wasn't just rude. She had gotten out of her car and came after him. That's aggression.

Tyyr wrote:There's also the possibility that she herself could be armed. While he's doing his judo trip, she might have mace, her own taser, a knife, or even a gun on her. If she's belligerent and non-compliant and the cop has to step up to physically making someone do as they're told they're not going to dick around about it.

She wasn't just rude. She had gotten out of her car and came after him. That's aggression.

I thought he asked her out of the car when she refused to sign the ticket?
In the video it doesn't seem like he tried any other avenues. No side step no try to calm things down. Least that's how I interpreted it.

A good shove to a 75-year-old woman could possibly do more harm than a taser. Tasers don't break bones or dislocate joints.

Monroe wrote:A nightstick pulled out would have been better. You can control the force of a night stick. He could have pushed her with it and the message would have been clear. He could have tripped her.

Really? Enforcing compliance with a t-stick is less dangerous than a stun weapon? You did read that before you hit "submit," right?

A good shove to a 75-year-old woman could possibly do more harm than a taser. Tasers don't break bones or dislocate joints.

Monroe wrote:A nightstick pulled out would have been better. You can control the force of a night stick. He could have pushed her with it and the message would have been clear. He could have tripped her.

Really? Enforcing compliance with a t-stick is less dangerous than a stun weapon? You did read that before you hit "submit," right?

The cop did try to defuse the situation, he told her to stop, she didn't. Given that she's not listening to simple orders and the threat of a tasing what makes you think she'll respond to anything else? I don't think it's the cop's job to try any and everything he possibly can to get her to do as she's told so he doesn't have to use physical force. You're supposed to follow the officer's directions period. If you don't there are consequences. She even knew what they were ahead of time. Police officers are not trained to trip people or let someone back them up or escalate slowly when it comes to physical action. If physical action is required they are trained to immediately take control of a situation and a taser is the quickest and safest (for them) method of doing it. What you're suggesting, backing up, continuing to ask nicely, or tripping her all put the cop in more danger when she's obviously non-compliant and a physical solution has become necessary.

Honestly, how is the cop in the wrong for tasing her if he'd told her she'd get tased if she didn't stop doing what she was doing and she didn't stop? I'm still not getting past that and being able to feel any sympathy for her at all.

The whole reason we have tasers is nightsticks were resulting in too many serious injuries and deaths in both suspects and police officers.

I'm with you on this one. If he just said, "Hi ma'am" and then shot her with a dart, I'd have a problem with it. She was given repeated warnings, both visual and verbal.

You don't have to swing with all abandonment when you use a night stick. And yeah the trip thing was a bad idea but it wouldn't have been any worse than the fall she took when she got the tase. They both involve her falling like a sack of bricks. With the trip she'd have a little more control as to how she hit the ground. You take a night stick and you poke someone in the upper chest and push they're going to back up. Or attack in which case that's why a cop has a taser for. Or mace... don't they carry mace anymore?

Tyyr wrote: I don't think it's the cop's job to try any and everything he possibly can to get her to do as she's told so he doesn't have to use physical force.

I agree. But there were numerous other choices he could have tried first.

Honestly, how is the cop in the wrong for tasing her if he'd told her she'd get tased if she didn't stop doing what she was doing and she didn't stop? I'm still not getting past that and being able to feel any sympathy for her at all.

Tasing her once he warned isn't my issue. Its having to warn in the first place without trying to do anything to prevent the problem. In the video it didn't look like he tried really.

There's got to be a fine line when using a taser. The things hurt like a bitch and can cause health problems. Non-lethal doesn't always mean the right force. I've seen other videos of cops tasering people just for getting mouthy while following orders.

Okay I was looking at the video again and it jumps annoyingly so there's a missing moment or two in there but look at her position when she took the taser (around 54 seconds). Well away from the officer and in fact well away from the road. I think we might be missing part of the picture.

Ah watched it again. We're missing 30 seconds of film by the time codes in the video.

Monroe wrote:Ah watched it again. We're missing 30 seconds of film by the time codes in the video.

Well, now that's damned interesting. Why would they release an incomplete video?

Really - I can't imagine a police department ever wanting to affect any media surrounding it.

Mikey wrote:Really - I can't imagine a police department ever wanting to affect any media surrounding it.

No, of course not...