Posted on 06/17/2004 10:48:50 AM PDT by Stew Padasso
Woman Claims Police Used Taser Gun On Her
68-Year-Old Woman Considers Pressing Charges
POSTED: 5:32 pm CDT June 16, 2004 UPDATED: 9:04 am CDT June 17, 2004
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A police officer used his Taser gun on a 68-year-old grandmother in her home Tuesday night, KMBC's Donna Pitman reported.
Louise Jones (pictured, left) said it happened after she pulled up to her house near 50th and Euclid and saw a police car. She honked, and an officer got out of the vehicle.
"He said he could give me a citation ticket for honking my horn. I said it was an accident. It's not like I laid on the horn; I honked, right in front of my house," Jones said.
Jones said the officer went to a call at another home, then returned to her house to give her a ticket for honking.
"He grabbed me and I jerked away from him, and he said, 'You assaulted me,'" Jones recalled.
Police said Jones wouldn't cooperate and hit the officer. That's when the officer pulled his Taser gun and shocked her, Pitman reported.
Jones said the officer shocked her twice with the weapon.
"I hollered and screamed because I thought it was a gun," she said.
Jones' husband, Fred, heard the commotion in his home of 40 years and confronted the officer. Husband and wife were both arrested and jailed.
Police Capt. Rich Lockhart said it is the policy of the Kansas City Police Department "to use the Taser (gun) when someone is being passively resistant, refusing to obey verbal commands."
The couple were released on bond, and now they want answers. Jones is considering pressing charges, Pitman reported.
"I have never been arrested in my life, been to the police station either -- not even for a traffic ticket," Jones said.
The Police Department is conducting an internal investigation into what happened. One of the officers involved has been on the force six years. The officer who used the Taser gun has been with the department four months. Both are still on duty.
You are a scream. Oh my sides......
Well isn't it special that JBT fanboy-ism has a high correlation with being a Veggie Tales fan, thinking COBOL is a career, and being mobidly obese.
Don't laugh too hard, you could knock loose a big chunk of colesterol.
You are a hoot when you are pretending you can't spell.
Common sense: If the officer's LIFE is threatened, as in he suspected she had a GUN, then he has EVERY right to protect his life, of course, including the use of his own gun. If she was pointing a can of pepper spray at him, I think he had full right to use the Taser. If she was just refusing to obey whatever commands he was barking, he had NO right to tase her. NONE. Not a 68-year-old woman.
MM
This sounds like a one sided complaint with missing facts. I?m always suspicious when only the victims side of the story is broadcast without the officer having the benefit of defending him/her self publicly. There will be an investigation and the facts could very well change.
I trust very few police officers. Affirmative action has changed the face of law enforcement for the worst. That?s not to blame all minorities for the lack of competent departments. The changes forced many of the experienced officers to abandon departments in large metropolitan areas for less dangerous assignments in the suburbs .
Leaving many major cities with inexperienced and under staffed departments. Plus you can?t judge an officers actions unless you?ve been in the line of fire yourselves. It?s easy to criticize based on biased news reports. It?s harder to visualize the event when you have no comprehension of what these neighborhoods are like. Many of you folks wouldn?t consider driving through these places , let alone work in them. They are frightening places to visit. The residents would sooner cut your throat then give you the time of day.
I?ve read the headlines before, police shoot unarmed black man. Only to find later that the fellow is a convicted felon who was indeed armed and dangerous.
Is "TASER" now the generic term for "Stun-Gun"???
The only TASER I ever saw shot out two darts on wires and could nail you from a distance.
"Hellofa standard you got there, MississippiMan. If the suspect is about to use a weapon, the
cop may use the Taser".
When can the cop pull his gun -- after he's shot?
It would be a sad day when a uniformed offier could not draw his weapon faster than a 68 year old woman. Sad Sad day.
Still laughing. TOP notch insult!
What an idiot cop. You know, when you are a young male cop and an old lady kicks your butt to the extent you have to stun her, it is best if the rest of your department doesn't find out about it.
Without knowing more than what is in the article I would like to speculate.Cops were there investigating some other activity, woman honks horn to warn others in neighborhood that the cops are there. Cop is pissed cuz he missed his collar and arrest the woman not for honking but interfering with police. That being said, I still don't think he should have used the stun gun and why was he in her house, did she invite them in? On the other hand since she did slap him she was definately wrong on that. Four months on the force is questionable also, maybe the senior officer was putting him to test, who knows.
68 year old man or woman...doesn't matter.
If a cop isn't able to handle an unarmed "seasoned citizen" without using a taser, he shouldn't be on the force.
Good.
Police said Jones wouldn't cooperate and hit the officer.
Ooops. You lose.
see above post
Just wondering why you bolded "woman."
Ping to #34, look who also lives there, I deleted his name since he is not in the article but he was convicted twice for robbery.
By your standard, cops should only be allowed to arrest (or taze) able-bodied men. What's wrong with that picture?
Under what plausible scenario is tasing a cranky but harmless 68 year old woman reasonable?
The odds seem pretty steeply against this having been a rightous use of force. Cops do not gte to meet out punishment on the spot, unless they want to be hunted like dogs themselves.
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