Po-po tasers 72 year old great grandmother during traffic stop (YouTube)

[The_Dude 1,142]

If demanding that cops not be lazy even if it means their over-reliance on gadgets kills people who don't need to be killed, makes me a hippy ... then guilty as charged.

Thats a bit naive.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Statists make me sick.

[The_Dude 1,142]

So you propose disparate treatment of people?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

As I said - I think they resort to violence too quickly and that the changing political climate has essentially justified this at the expense of exercising responsibility.

I get what you are saying-and in some circumstances you could very well be right; but what about the grandma's share of responsibility for the outcome here? I mean, he warned her a couple of times, you could tell he wasn't trigger happy and she still kept on and on.

There would not have been a story here if the driver had been a 30-something. She was resisting a police officer, non-compliant and combative.We can't have one rule for old people and one for the rest of us.

I tend to think that the police should be trained to defuse situations without resorting to this kind of action - the woman was definitely bad tempered, but nothing the cop did before the tasing did anything but exacerbate the situation.

The woman posed no physical threat to the officer to justify that response.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Wonder if the cop was a Republican?

[Ban Hammer 14,569]

Wonder if the cop was a Republican?

nah, it's a dem out to save social security.

[natty bumppo 297]

Wonder if the cop was a Republican?

nah, it's a dem out to save social security.

and medicare ...

[Wis-Can 0]

as is goading cops on the side of the road ( a bad idea).

But doesn't this justify the cops having short tempers?

I do think they are too ready to resort to violence as a way of dealing with difficult people. But no matter how grouchy or crotchety an old woman might be - its a stretch to believe that a tasering the person is a reasonable response.

Most officers are not just cranky or crotchety. A bit jaded, yes, but not merely cranky. Having seen the underbelly of society, and the limits of humanity teaches you a few lessons in life. The job they perform puts their lives on the line, and they do not take this fact lightly. Officers do so at their own peril. Whether you estimate a grandmother as harmless or not is beside the point. She could potentially be dangerous. She could have a weapon. Furthermore, she was given a simple set of commands. She was being obstinant and obstructive on purpose.

In that situation, anything the officer did short of tell her to go home, some people would have had a problem with. The fact remains, she committed some sort of traffic violation and subsequently , by her actions and inactions resisted arrest, and even her touching the officer commited battery on an officer.

I agree with you 100%! If this was a 20 year old we wouldn't be talking about it. A 72 year old can shoot a gun just as easily as that 20 year old. Officers have to make life and death decisions in an instant everyday. She was given simple directions, she failed to obey them. There is consequences to every action, something granny should have taken into account when she decided to break the law.

Edited June 11, 2009 by Wis-Can

[thetreble 19]

The guy who wrote 'The Wire' (a show I haven't seen) was the journalist - now fiction writer. He's an interesting guy. I am sure some of it is propaganda, but still interesting.

The wire is my favourite show right now I just started season 4 on HBO after watching the first three seasons.

[thetreble 19]

Most officers are not just cranky or crotchety. A bit jaded, yes, but not merely cranky. Having seen the underbelly of society, and the limits of humanity teaches you a few lessons in life. The job they perform puts their lives on the line, and they do not take this fact lightly.

Would you like to come with me to some of the rich towns in my state where the cops have..nothing to do all day BUT give out traffic citations? Not all police officers put their lives on the line every day. I have police officer friends in some of the ritzy, small towns in NJ who spend more time responding to kids who have fallen off their bikes than actual emergencies. I think it all comes down to power and arrogance. Not all officers have seen the underbelly of society Rob, unfortunately, which leads many to not have that kind of humility or compassion for people imho.

Just like the police officers on our university campus. We had one sexual assault last year on campus...the most calls they respond to are white, rich kids smoking weed in their dorm rooms or stolen parking permits. Not exactly hardcore police work.

A lot of police officers just seem to get overwhelmed, take things to the next level, etc...and even I'm a pinch scared of the police here in NJ. I feel like if I ever question what they are doing, I'm going to get tasered like that old bag.

if this was a 20 year old we wouldn't be talking about it.

Actually, this is far from the truth. "Don't tase me bro?", Remember that? That was a college student.

We talk about people being tasered ALL the time regardless of age. News is news. There was a middle aged man tasered in the Vancouver, BC airport last year who ended up dying as a result. That was talked about for a long time as well.

Edited June 11, 2009 by thetreble

[almaty 19]

the officer was an idiot..

[Ban Hammer 14,569]

the officer was an idiot..

no, granny was.

[Krikit 1,166]

Careful with the name calling. Post removed.

[thetreble 19]

the officer was an idiot..

no, granny was.

Both were?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't disagree that the old woman was a belligerent old bat - but from the video its hard to see how the officer didn't provoke that situation. His entire approach when confronted with the angry woman was to bully her into obeying him - which when a person is angry can be a like a red rag to a bull.

Don't the police train their recruits in non-violent conflict resolution?

Edited June 11, 2009 by Private Pike