Texas officer uses tazer on 72yr old woman

[phyzik]

Bitch deserved it too after watching the video, he warned her quite a few times and she DID dare him :lol

link to video: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/06/10/dnt.tx.grandma.tasered.kvue

http://www.infowars.com/texas-cop-tasers-72-year-old-great-grandmother/

Texas Cop Tasers 72-year-old Great Grandmother

Fox News has obtained police dashboard video of the tasering of a 72 year old great grandmother in Travis County, TX.

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 taserer 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.”

Fox’s Brian Kilmeade commented after running the video, “Officers insisted they acted by the book. What book is that?”

------------------------------------------------------------

the article is ignoring the fact that she clearly denied to sign the ticket and that he was going to arrest her. She then started to resist arest by trying to get back in the vehicle. The officer then pushed her back as she was about to step into traffic. By that point the officer had warned her ass like 9 times that if she doesnt comply he is going to use his tazer. She refused again and suffered the consequences in my opinion.

[ATRAIN]

I dont know if she deserved to be tazered. Yeah she dared him but prob because she didnt think he would actually do it. He could have gone another route. He overpowered her and that was obvious, he could have turned her around and slapped the cuffs. He didnt have to tazer her.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Yeah, I'm with the officer on this one. There are plenty of stories of cop's zapping people for no reason but this isn't one of them.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

i hope she was wearing Depends.

[stretch]

:lmao

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I dont know if she deserved to be tazered. Yeah she dared him but prob because she didnt think he would actually do it. He could have gone another route. He overpowered her and that was obvious, he could have turned her around and slapped the cuffs. He didnt have to tazer her.

I think he actually went with the safer alternative given her age and their proximity to the road. Given how beligerant she was being I think he had enough reason to believe that she'd try to fight him. I'm sure he could overpower her pretty easily,but if it comes to that there's plenty that can go wrong. Maybe she breaks a hip, maybe someone gets tripped up and stumbles towards traffic, maybe bitch has a knife.

[FaithInOne]

Its cops like this that make others hate cops. This guy should get his ass beat by real LEOs.


Use some discretion ffs.

[Fillmoe]

shoulda just signed her ticket and shut the fuck up.....

[Taco]

i hope she was wearing Depends.

:lol

I guess she thought she was talking to one of her kids.

[Fillmoe]

Its cops like this that make others hate cops. This guy should get his ass beat by real LEOs.


Use some discretion ffs.

did you watch the video? i woulda beat that bitch in the head

[robino2001]

It's amazing how the Fox (national) News story is the only one that says the cop is lying and the video proves it... every other story I've read/heard says the video proves what the cop has been saying all along.

[ATRAIN]

I think he actually went with the safer alternative given her age and their proximity to the road. Given how beligerant she was being I think he had enough reason to believe that she'd try to fight him. I'm sure he could overpower her pretty easily,but if it comes to that there's plenty that can go wrong. Maybe she breaks a hip, maybe someone gets tripped up and stumbles towards traffic, maybe bitch has a knife.

What if she had a pacemaker and the taze made her go into cardiac arrest?

[SpursWoman]

What if she had a pacemaker and the taze made her go into cardiac arrest?

Suicide by cop? :wow

[ATRAIN]

shoulda just signed her ticket and shut the fuck up.....

Well yeah thats true Im not saying she wasnt at fault. She was a stupid old bitch that just thought because she is old she should be given a pass. She shouldnt have been driving in the first place lol. However he didnt have to fucking taze her, he should have just beat her ass.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

What if she had a pacemaker and the taze made her go into cardiac arrest?

Fair enough, but I think the list of "what ifs" on a physical altercation with a suspect is longer than the list of "what ifs" on simply tazing someone from the cop's point of view.

[DisAsTerBot]

spfie, your take on this situation is pretty amusing considering the "goodwill ambassador" under your screen name...

[BlackSwordsMan]

Fair enough, but I think the list of "what ifs" on a physical altercation with a suspect is longer than the list of "what ifs" on simply tazing someone from the cop's point of view.

''what if'' the stupid old lady did what was she told by the cop.
She wouldn't have been tazed.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

''what if'' the stupid old lady did what was she told by the cop.
She wouldn't have been tazed.

:tu

[SpursStalker]

''what if'' the stupid old lady did what was she told by the cop.
She wouldn't have been tazed.

[tp2021]

Why was a 72 year old driving 15 miles over the speed limit in a construction zone? That's 3 strikes in 1 sentence.

[Richard Cranium]

What if she had a pacemaker and the taze made her go into cardiac arrest?

That would be heart breaking. But she was given ample chances to comply so she shouldn't have been shocked when she was tazed.

[mrsmaalox]

http://www.farsector.com/smartguy/2006-03-bikers2.jpg

[Fpoonsie]

:rollin

[ORION]

What if she had a pacemaker and the taze made her go into cardiac arrest?

No way ! That would of given her super powers because the pacemaker would have absorbed the electricity kind of like an energon cube.

[cornbread]

That one cop being interviewed has the biggest ears I've ever seen.

Good job to the tazing cop.

[mavs>spurs2]

Old people get more senile and can lot's of times be belligerent. She could have fallen onto the highway and started going into convulsions, and he would have had to put his own life at risk to pull her out before she got run over. Sometimes you have to use a little common sense in life and just cuff the lady.

[tlongII]

That cop was being a dumbass. After she said that she'd sign the ticket he should have let her. Dude needs to learn when to use discretion.

[Sportcamper]

I cant believe that everyone here is not appalled at 300 lb man roughing up a 72 year old grandmother…I don’t care if she cussed at him…The guy is obviously an insecure whack job & has no business serving as a police officer…

[lefty]

''what if'' the stupid old lady did what was she told by the cop.
She wouldn't have been tazed.


Don't you think a young healthy cop could have used another alternative on a 72 y/o woman?

[Torso]

You just can't do things like that!

[timvp]

I usually end up on the side of the cops in these debates but I disagree with the blue onn this one. He could have easily just handcuffed her and taken her in. He basically just tazered her because she dared him.

Even pride tazering is acceptable in some cases but not a 72-year-old lady.

[King]

Maybe the best time to be arguing against excessive police force against old people isn't the day after an 88 year old man walked into a museum with guns blazin'.

Yeah, it was a lady - but she was warned plenty of times. What's the age cutoff? Is 60 too old? 50? 40?

[mavs>spurs2]

police should never taser anyone just because they say something the officer doesn't like or act disrespectful..it should only be used in a situation where the suspect becomes violent and is a threat to someone. officers are people too, they aren't above the law and can't go around beating ass and tasering because people piss them off.

[SnakeBoy]

What if he would have used his size and strength to physically subdue her and in her effort to resist she broke her hip and then a week later suffered a massive stroke due to a blood clot from the broken hip?

What if he had tried to gently restrain her and she bit him on the arm puncturing his skin with her tooth and then it was discovered that she was an aids infected granny whore?

[Clandestino]

the cop was out of line.. if a large policeman cannot handcuff a 72 yr old grandma with having to taser her something is wrong.

[FaithInOne]

Both parties were just victims of lawyers.

[sonic21]

Cops in Utah tazed a man to death (http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=6764721)

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- A Utah man returning to Arizona to continue work on a PhD died after being tased by police outside Hurricane Tuesday afternoon. It's a story that hits at KSL because 32-year-old Brian Cardall is the son of longtime reporter and now editorial director Duane Cardall.

A Washington County critical task force has already started looking into Brian's death. He, his wife and daughter were returning to their Arizona home following a trip to see family in Utah.

According to family members, Brian struggled with a mental illness and began having an episode just outside Hurricane on state Road 59. The family pulled over to get Cardall medicine when he started running down the road.

Law enforcement was called; Hurricane police were the first to respond. It was actually one of their officers who deployed the Taser. Police say Brian collapsed, unconscious.

"Medical was right there. We had dispatched both because of the circumstances of the call. They were there immediately. The subject went unconscious. We transported the subject to the hospital where he was pronounced dead," explained Chief Deputy Rob Tersigni, of the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Brian's loss is devastating to his family members, who call him exceptionally talented and gifted. He was a PhD candidate in ecological genetics, had already been published in a half-dozen national journals and hoped one day to teach.

He leaves behind a wife, a daughter, Ava, and a baby due in September. He recently learned that it is another girl and was looking forward to her birth.

[ididnotnothat]

He could have easily caused her harm had he tried to physically restrain her. Normal procedure of taking her arm and putting it behind her back could have resulted ina broken arm and if she went down with him on top? He did what he had to do.

[mavs>spurs2]

He could have easily caused her harm had he tried to physically restrain her. Normal procedure of taking her arm and putting it behind her back could have resulted ina broken arm and if she went down with him on top? He did what he had to do.

Dude thats alot less dangerous to an old lady than fucking tazering her. She could have went into cardiac arrest, stroke, etc. Tazing old women is just wrong any way you spin it

[LnGrrrR]

What if he would have used his size and strength to physically subdue her and in her effort to resist she broke her hip and then a week later suffered a massive stroke due to a blood clot from the broken hip?

What if he had tried to gently restrain her and she bit him on the arm puncturing his skin with her tooth and then it was discovered that she was an aids infected granny whore?

What if dinosaurs were real and they stepped on my car? Would my insurance cover it?

[mavs>spurs2]

What if dinosaurs were real and they stepped on my car? Would my insurance cover it?

:lmao

[BlackSwordsMan]

Don't you think a young healthy cop could have used another alternative on a 72 y/o woman?

you know an 88 year old man just killed a guard recently

[ididnotnothat]

Dude thats alot less dangerous to an old lady than fucking tazering her. She could have went into cardiac arrest, stroke, etc. Tazing old women is just wrong any way you spin it

You are probably right. I would not find him guilty though if he were to get sued.

[boutons_deux]

non-lethal tasers have killed about 500 people.

[MannyIsGod]

I didn't think the cop was out of line here but the fact that even Clandestino does makes me think I'm wrong.

[Clandestino]

I didn't think the cop was out of line here but the fact that even Clandestino does makes me think I'm wrong.

After seeing the video, there is no way this man should be a cop if he can't arrest a feeble 72yr old woman without 15,000 volts.

[benefactor]

He probably could have physically restrained here pretty easily...but you never know. I've seen some strong ass old ladies in the psych hospital I work at. I think he should have attempted to restrain her first and if she became overly combatitive then maybe go for the tazer.

[easjer]

Actually, I'm with the cop. She was belligerent, was not obeying his orders, was crowding him back to a busy road on more than one occasion and she was warned plenty of times that she needed to step back, sign the ticket and not to leave.

I absolutely think she was expecting a pass because she was old and she was acting irresponsibly in forcing him (and them) back towards the road. Would it be better if he had been able to arrest her without it, yes. Did he have good opportunity without being accused of being too physically aggressive with an elderly woman? No. She was fighting the cuffs and everything. Given all the lawsuits and given that there was a camera recording his repeated warnings to follow directions and telling her he would taze her, I think he did the best he could in a no-win situation.

[BackStabber]

I back the blue.

[desflood]

I'm still undecided on this. I could easily see the possibility of having to taze a 70-year-old man in good shape (I had an uncle who, at 70, could still climb a flagpole using just his hands), but a woman of that age should be able to be easily physically subdued. But that doesn't change the fact that she acted very badly, was warned about the consequences, and continued to act in a nonproductive manner. I have more sympathy for the cop; he was put into a position that was bound to end badly one way or the other.

[Taco]

http://prnewser.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/donttasemet.jpg

[lefty]

you know an 88 year old man just killed a guard recently

That guy was a weapon-trained nazi



You are telling me the old lady fell in the same category? :lmao

[bus driver]

What if she had a pacemaker and the taze made her go into cardiac arrest?

than she shouldnt be daring the cop to taser her...........

break the law and you get what you get

[mrsmaalox]

The way that lady was behaving, I think she would have put up a big fight if he had tried to physically restrain her. So given the difference in their sizes, the taser was probably less damaging to her.

[DisAsTerBot]

He probably could have physically restrained here pretty easily...but you never know. I've seen some strong ass old ladies in the psych hospital I work at. I think he should have attempted to restrain her first and if she became overly combatitive then maybe go for the tazer.

exactly, he barely even attempted to restrain her... Like an earlier post said, cops just can't tazer people because they're pissed off or you said something they didn't like.... Tazers are to be used when there is no other way of subduing someone, clearly this was not the case.

[Strike]

In my opinion, she was being a belligerent bitch. Did she deserve to get tasered? Maybe, maybe not. But she was warned and didn't let up. If you don't want to get tazed, don't be an ass to a cop.

I've gotten out of tickets a few times by just being respectful and cooperative with police.

To add, both my elderly parents agree with the cop on this one.

[Taco]

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g235/LynneSin97/taser.gif

[DarkReign]

Serious question...

If you do not obey a cops orders, youre unarmed, it is ok to be tazed?

So they get to bring a weapon into a verbal confrontation with an unarmed person, now? She never attacked him, swung at him or tried to drive away. Now, he certainly could physically restrain her, or put her in cuffs, or take her down, etc.

Tazers are weapons...nothing like a nightstick, they are a step-UP from that.

This is great...and there are people agreeing with the cop. Serves this country right. I hope you sheep are happy with your sheppards.

[DisAsTerBot]

Serious question...

If you do not obey a cops orders, youre unarmed, it is ok to be tazed?

So they get to bring a weapon into a verbal confrontation with an unarmed person, now? She never attacked him, swung at him or tried to drive away. Now, he certainly could physically restrain her, or put her in cuffs, or take her down, etc.

Tazers are weapons...nothing like a nightstick, they are a step-UP from that.

This is great...and there are people agreeing with the cop. Serves this country right. I hope you sheep are happy with your sheppards.

finally....someone who sees where this is going :toast

[JoeChalupa]

Serious question...

If you do not obey a cops orders, youre unarmed, it is ok to be tazed?

So they get to bring a weapon into a verbal confrontation with an unarmed person, now? She never attacked him, swung at him or tried to drive away. Now, he certainly could physically restrain her, or put her in cuffs, or take her down, etc.

Tazers are weapons...nothing like a nightstick, they are a step-UP from that.

This is great...and there are people agreeing with the cop. Serves this country right. I hope you sheep are happy with your sheppards.

It is not always black and white. I think he went too far but if an officer is is in a verbal confrontation with a suspect/person and he feels like he could be over powered physically and feels a danger...would it be acceptable to taze? I know it is a totally different situation but sometimes they have to make judgement calls and they are going to make mistakes. As the cop in the situation with the elderly woman did.
I don't think it is a sign of anything to fear.
I'd have to say that I am generally very pleased with the law enforcement in this Country. It is isn't perfect but I like it.

[ploto]

If a 6'6" 25-year old male behaved exactly the same way would you have a problem with it? Expecting different treatment because of her gender is sexism and expecting different treatment because she s 72 is ageism- isn't it?

[Dark Gable]

I'm surprised he even reached for the taser in the first place.

[Cry Havoc]

So they get to bring a weapon into a verbal confrontation with an unarmed person, now? She never attacked him, swung at him or tried to drive away. Now, he certainly could physically restrain her, or put her in cuffs, or take her down, etc.

Tazers are weapons...nothing like a nightstick, they are a step-UP from that.

This is great...and there are people agreeing with the cop. Serves this country right. I hope you sheep are happy with your sheppards.

I am actually the opposite of TimVP here. Normally I see a lot of video online that suggests police brutality and will side with the citizen, particularly if the cop is just on a power-trip and trying to exert his privileges to carry weapons on someone.

However, this officer wasn't being an asshole to the lady. He was being respectful, and repeatedly requested that she stand to the side of the road, for her OWN SAFETY.

She was an ignorant ass who was trying to use her status as a senior citizen to bully a cop.

I don't necessarily think tazering was the best thing the cop could have done, but I feel he was justified. What if he tries to arrest her, and she slips or he stumbles, and barrels out into the path of a moving car? There is practically NO shoulder there, in fact it probably made the cop nervous to be so close to moving traffic. He did what he could to end the situation.

Could it have been handled better? Probably. Was the cop that wrong to use a tazer? No. The old bat shouldn't have been an idiot and just signed the damn ticket in the first place. Speeding in construction zones is a serious offense to begin with.


Serious question...

If you do not obey a cops orders, youre unarmed, it is ok to be tazed?

If you're a complete douchebag full of stupid remarks to a cop, AND you disobey his requests, then you had better be ready to be tazed.

[easjer]

He didn't taze her because she politely refused to sign the ticket or even because she used foul language. And he DID try to cuff her - she slaps at him. She was putting them both in a dangerous situation by backing the officer (who was trying to keep a respectful distance and not provoke a situation, in my view) towards a road with busy traffic. You can see it passing in the background.

There were multiple attempts to warn her, to take her into custody and she refused to follow orders. I don't see that the same way as I see a verbal confrontation. There was physicality to it.

And I think there would be FAR more outrage that he put his hands on an elderly woman if he'd tried to take her down by force. The tazer was his safest option and you cannot say she was not warned repeatedly that he would use it.

I LOVE how she claimed it was all a lie for Fox News and then refused to comment after the entire video was released because it proved her wrong.

[tp2021]

She's an adult and broke the rules. If she is so fragile that she can't take a punishment, then she shouldn't be doing anything that neccesitates a punishment. If she doesn't understand what the rules are or is senile or some shit, then don't freaking drive.

[tp2021]

This is great...and there are people agreeing with the cop. Serves this country right. I hope you sheep are happy with your sheppards.

If something similar happened to you, your message would be "I have the tape that proves I'm not in the wrong! Go ahead, let this doucebag get away with it just because he/she is _______! Sheeple!"

[Clandestino]

Actually, you guys need to watch the tape again. And only look at the facts of the present case. Don't think about how a cop slapped your peepee when you were young or how your dad was a lifelong cop and is the greatest thing in the world...

Look at the tape, look at the facts:

Did she disobey orders? YES
Is she little and old? YES
Is the cop young and well trained to take down drug dealers/thiefs/rapists? YES
Did he need to taze this woman to arrest her? FUCk NO

He needs to be fired for abuse of power or just being a fucking dickhead

[JeopardyGeek]

I'll take "Taze the Old Bag" for $1000, Alex.

[FaithInOne]

Don't taze me Sonny.

[Cry Havoc]

Actually, you guys need to watch the tape again. And only look at the facts of the present case. Don't think about how a cop slapped your peepee when you were young or how your dad was a lifelong cop and is the greatest thing in the world...

Look at the tape, look at the facts:

Did she disobey orders? YES
Is she little and old? YES
Is the cop young and well trained to take down drug dealers/thiefs/rapists? YES
Did he need to taze this woman to arrest her? FUCk NO

He needs to be fired for abuse of power or just being a fucking dickhead

Was she belligerent to an officer? YES.
Did she attempt to go around him into high speed moving traffic? YES.
Did she DARE an officer to taze her? YES.
Should her age have any impact on how much of an asshole she can be to a cop? NO.

[whottt]

My guess is everyone that thinks he should have just physically restrained her and slapped the cuffs on her has never been handcuffed before. You put cuffs on a woman that old that is resisting, you will most likely break her wrists or her arm.

Handcuffs hurt like a bitch when they are "slapped" on and fuck your wrists all up. Yes they can be put on gently, but not when the person they are being put on is fighting you. They might go on loose, they might go on tight, but they are definitely going to go on hard.

She was clearly in the wrong and should just have signed the ticket without mouthing off, considering she was clearly in violation of the law, and then she should have gone about her business like most everyone else does when they get a ticket.

I'm not saying you shouldn't break the law, only that if you get caught you really shoudn't be a dickhead about it...own up.

[whottt]

It's also not easy to put handcuffs on someone that is resisting them being put on, it's pretty much impossible unless you put them face first on the ground and put your knees in their back and twist one of their arms behind their back, usually holding their arm down with their knee, their twisted arm.

My guess is that 300lb man doing that to that woman would have probably killed her by causing a stroke or cardiac arrest or at the least put her in the hospital with some brroken bones.

She shouldn't have been a bitch about getting caught breaking the law.

[Clandestino]

My guess is everyone that thinks he should have just physically restrained her and slapped the cuffs on her has never been handcuffed before. You put cuffs on a woman that old that is resisting, you will most likely break her wrists or her arm.

Handcuffs hurt like a bitch when they are "slapped" on and fuck your wrists all up. Yes they can be put on gently, but not when the person they are being put on is fighting you. They might go on loose, they might go on tight, but they are definitely going to go on hard.

She was clearly in the wrong and should just have signed the ticket without mouthing off, considering she was clearly in violation of the law, and then she should have gone about her business like most everyone else does when they get a ticket.

I'm not saying you shouldn't break the law, only that if you get caught you really shoudn't be a dickhead about it...own up.

Most likely, after she was tazed, handcuffs were also put on her.

Here is how the NICE LITTLE TASER WORKS:

The Taser fires two small dart-like electrodes, which stay connected to the main unit by conductive wire as they are propelled by small compressed nitrogen charges similar to some air gun or paintball marker propellants. The air cartridge contains a pair of electrodes and propellant for a single shot and is replaced after each use. There are a number of cartridges designated by range, with the maximum at 35 feet (10.6 m).[15] Cartridges available to non-law enforcement consumers are limited to 15 feet (4.5 m).[16] The electrodes are pointed to penetrate clothing and barbed to prevent removal once in place. Earlier Taser models had difficulty in penetrating thick clothing, but newer versions (X26, C2) use a "shaped pulse" that increases effectiveness in the presence of barriers

[ChumpDumper]

Sounds nasty -- she probably shouldn't have asked to be tasered.

[Clandestino]

The fact is the officer is supposed to be professional and handle situations with the appropriate amount of force. He needs to be fired.

[ChumpDumper]

Nah, that's not anywhere close to a fireable offense.

[Clandestino]

EVEN A SHERIFF thinks this constable is a dumbass:


But Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton, whose office does not oversee the constables, issued a statement Wednesday saying:
"I do not personally agree with the actions of the deputy constable as they are shown in the video. When I look at the video I am in awe of what happened."

Wasn't another Austin area officer in the national news about something during Thanksgiving?

http://news.aol.com/article/deputy-tasers-woman-72-during-traffic/521672

[ChumpDumper]

It's usually the Austin police blowing a black dude away on the east side.

In comparison, this is nothing.

Sign your ticket and save your bitching for court.

[Captain Kirk]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/clintsquint/khanac.gif

[dolacheck]

What I find funny is the cop bashing in this thread. He had no choice. He either had to taze or use force, thus putting her on the ground or throwing her against the car. Had either of those situations happened, the same ppl bitchin about him tazering her would be bitching about the excessive force he used when he put her on the ground/ against the car, to hand cuff her. He did what he had to do, and she deserved it.

[Clandestino]

What I find funny is the cop bashing in this thread. He had no choice. He either had to taze or use force, thus putting her on the ground or throwing her against the car. Had either of those situations happened, the same ppl bitchin about him tazering her would be bitching about the excessive force he used when he put her on the ground/ against the car, to hand cuff her. He did what he had to do, and she deserved it.

did you not read what the an austin sheriff said? he DOES NOT AGREE with the constable.

[dolacheck]

So because ONE person doesnt agree with someone else, they are automatically wrong? lol now thats funny.

[ballhog]

I'm sure the tox report will show she was doin' Geritol straight up!

[DisAsTerBot]

how about the fact that she didn't even need to sign the ticket... I've not signed and still had to go to court for said ticket...

there is no way to justify the use of a tazer in this situation...