Once she said “I’ll sign the ticket” he could have told her, "Okay, wait in the car mam, or he could have politely explained to her the situation.
Sure she was a whiny bitch, but officers are to be held to a higher moral standing than “ordinary” citizens give then nature of the work. They are the face of the laws the American People stand behind (mos of the time anyway). Not a smart way to handle a situation.
I also think that given the circumstance of the infraction, even if she is misbehaving, I don’t believe that grants a police officer the right to taze you. Laws are way to stiff in this country at times. A cop could be a little more “liberal” and not take every single infraction as a gross violation of the law that must be punished.
I am not suggesting that every case be this way, but pick and choose the correct moment to exercise such authority, especially when that authority can cause you physical harm.
The laws can be written on paper, and police can enforce them, but if you choose to set an example out of being a little less of a prick and not saying anything about it, that’s O.K too.
When he yelled he was following standard training to shout commands. At that point she was attempting to flee an arrest.
She can be as annoying as she wishes. It has no bearing and the matter and would not affect the outcome. I’ve certainly been more annoying to officers who truly act like dicks. I’ve read them the riot act over their behavior (politely).
The bonding process allows people who have committed a traffic offense to continue on their way with an option to plead the case or waive it with payment. I think it’s a great way of dispensing justice.
So? Now, not my grandmothers, but I’ve known plenty of old women who have been the stereotype of the wicked old witch.
My paternal grandfather, before we took his license away (not without a terrible fight), was a speed demon, had lord knows how many accidents, had epilepsy, and liked to “experiment” with his meds. He was certainly a threat. (My grandmother wouldn’t let him drive her car – if they went somewhere, SHE always drove) He collected quite a number of tickets – (but never went to jail, as far as I know. Which sounds like a miracle, considering how argumentative he is)
My maternal grandmother, while not a threat, always had what we called, “a lead foot.” (She gave up her license willingly).
Just because someone’s old doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous – why do you think elderly drivers is such a hot topic?
I ask because I can only envision someone who isn’t a parent taking the view you’re taking. As an authority figure, if you allow someone to disobey requests and not face any consequences, pretty soon the only way you will ever get obedience is only after a prolonged fight.
Imagine what the cop’s job would be like if he let everyone get away with what this lady was trying to get away with. Every single time he tried to write a ticket the ticketee would refuse to sign, try to get back in their car after being told they are under arrest, and then, only after they were certain the cop was serious, agree to sign the ticket. And the cop should just take that as part of the job.
Whether or not he should have tazed her is another issue, but to say he should have let her go after she agreed to sign only AFTER she faced arrest is not the proper way to handle this at all, in my opinion.
Unfortunately for those who wish it so, there is no automatic “reset” button for some situations once they’ve escalated. If in the course of a traffic stop I’m told to take my hands out of my pockets and refuse to do so once, twice, three times—I can be reasonably assured that I’m about to eat some pavement even if I finally “comply” by yanking my hands out when I see the cop lunging for me.
It’s really remarkable—I always thought of myself as kind of a bad kid and a troublemaker, but apparently my parents must’ve taught me a lot better than the average. That there are so many anti-authoritarian apologists for really, really stupid behavior does not bode well for our future, or for a reduction in these types of incidents as we move toward it.
Be you young or old, male or female, white, black or Martian, my personal feeling, in general, has always been if you’re purposely going to act like a dick to a police officer of any stripe, then you’re not in a good position to complain about how the situation ends up.
Nor do we know if she was dangerous in this case. He was not citing reckless driving, just speeding. This is not about your hot rod grandparents. it is about a cop who could not keep his cool.
Okay I cite the part of the thread where people where talking tazering an old woman. AKA the whole thread, which apparently you haven’t read.
What part do you find to be a strawman? That tasers use electricity? They cause intense pain? Intense pain causes fear and adrenaline?
Which of these is the disputed claim to you? I’ve accidentally touched a live PSU capacitor at 110 volts. Not sure how many amps it was charged with. Couldn’t have been more then 3 amps. It was a 300 watt unit. Anyway it was an epic adventure of pain, fear, confusion, and surprise. it was not for the faint of heart.
Edit in fairness it doesn’t use that much current, just an amazing ly high voltage. Still I stand by my comments, those things are designed to hurt and heart patients don’t take sudden stress well.
Yes, going to the mall and randomly zapping some oldie who would otherwise be enjoying his latte by the fountain is a horrible, horrible thing to do. Why not just leave him alone?
Oh right, nobody is talking about that.
What we’re talking about, I think, is how an officer should get a combative and resistive person to comply with his lawful orders. Should he taze granny? Heavens, that’s stressful, it might put a strain on her heart! Or should he throw her to the ground, wrench her arms behind her and cuff her? No, that wouldn’t be painful nor stressful at all, and wouldn’t have the added danger of breaking her ribs or arms.
So if unless you can demonstrate that tazing is more dangerous than physically manhandling Granny, then everything you wrote is irrelevant. Get it?
Unless you’re part of the “but she’s a grandmother, he should have just let her go!” camp, in which case :rolleyes: .
No, the implied assertion that anyone at anytime in this thread said “an intense shock of sudden electricity, pain, adrenaline, and fear is no threat to anyone with a potential heart condition”. You’re asking for cites for an assertion no one made – except you, of course. That’s pretty much the definiton of a strawman. But I’m repeating myself.
Which is the point at which I generally bow out, even when I’m not flying off in the morning to lie on a sandy white beach sipping drinks with tiny umbrellas in them, which is my plan for the coming week. Enjoy the rest of the thread.
ITT: near illterate people. Case in point this near illiterate some how thought I was talking about some old person at a mall.
Would you please tellme where I said anything about “oldies at the mall”? If you can’t then kindly take your strawman and get the fuck out. Get it? Good.
If tazers are the safest way to handle old people why don’t they start carrying them at the nursing home? There’s folks there who show aggression several times more intense then that old lady did. If it’s the safest way then why not?
That’s an excellent point, Tao! An old person who is unable to take care of him or herself, confined to the controlled and enclosed environment of a nursing home and surrounded by a number of support staff, is exactly the same as a fully functional driver arguing with a single officer on the side of a busy highway.
Really, you outdid yourself. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to join Jodi on that beach. Or failing that, spend a weekend chasing a giggling three year old around the park. Have fun with yourself in the rest of the thread.
Excuse me? What about said “hot rod granny” who threw a hissyfit because a cop dared write her a ticket for disobeying the speed limit, getting belligerent, and resisting arrest? I suppose she was entirely innocent?
He had given her PLENTY of opportunies to wait in the car, and he had already explained the situation to her. Repeatedly, in fact.
There comes a time when enough is enough. You don’t get to change your mind at the last moment once fair warning has been given and action is finally taken.
