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Woman claims Fla. officers abused her with stun gun
AP)KCAL9 ^ | Wednesday April 20, 2005 | AP)

Posted on 04/20/2005 5:27:20 PM PDT by BenLurkin

MIAMI (AP) A woman who allegedly overstayed her welcome at a motel was zapped nine times with a stun gun as police arrested her.

Patricia Skelly's attorney said there was little evidence that the 110-pound woman posed such a danger that repeated use of the Taser was needed. But authorities Wednesday defended the use of force, saying Skelly was extremely combative.

Skelly, 47, was arrested Easter Sunday at a motel in Valparaiso in the Florida Panhandle when the owners were unable to determine whether she would leave or stay another night.

``It's just not right what happened to me,'' Skelly told reporters. ``How I lived through this, I don't know.''

Larry Caskey, director of the Okaloosa County Department of Corrections, said officers were forced to use the Taser because Skelly tried to wriggle out of handcuffs, escape from a patrol car and bite her own hand.

``It doesn't look good, but when you take it step by step, I feel like they acted appropriately,'' he said.

The woman's case comes amid increasing nationwide debate over police use of Tasers.

In Tallahassee on Wednesday, a Senate committee approved a bill providing statewide guidelines for Taser use and requiring departments to provide at least four hours of training before using the stun guns.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; leo; motel; nonlethal; stungun; taser

1 posted on 04/20/2005 5:27:21 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin
"Patricia Skelly gestures as she speaks during a news conference Wednesday, April 20, 2005 as her attorney Ellis Rubin looks on in Miami. Skelly, who arrested on Easter Sunday for staying too long at a Florida Panhandle motel, says she was stunned multiple times with a Taser in an excessive use of force. Officials say the Taser use was used an unusual amount of times but was justified." (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
2 posted on 04/20/2005 5:28:53 PM PDT by BenLurkin (O beautiful for patriot dream - that sees beyond the years)
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To: BenLurkin

Drug skinny?


3 posted on 04/20/2005 5:32:34 PM PDT by Seeking the truth (0cents.com - Pajama Patrol Badges are here!)
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To: BenLurkin

Despite shocking her 11 times she's still skanky.


4 posted on 04/20/2005 5:32:43 PM PDT by PeterFinn (The Holocaust was perfectly legal.)
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To: BenLurkin

I don't know a darn thing about this, but it sounds like the police just ran out of patience and wanted results so they did a little pursuading. A 110 Lb woman? Give me a break will you?


5 posted on 04/20/2005 5:33:13 PM PDT by Banjoguy (Don't be brain dead.)
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To: BenLurkin

http://www.taser.com/law/video/wmv/bull.wmv


6 posted on 04/20/2005 5:33:42 PM PDT by Wiggins
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To: BenLurkin

She's a "Skell" literally.


7 posted on 04/20/2005 5:36:03 PM PDT by Wiggins
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To: BenLurkin
Oh great. Ellis Rubin, the Florida counterpart of California's Arthur C. Chambers, legal slut.

Goes to show what a joke the taser is in law enforcement. - Repeated tasering is needed to subdue a 110lb 47 year old woman.

Good thing it wasn't a hopped up, pissed off 250lb male.
8 posted on 04/20/2005 5:37:25 PM PDT by bill1952 ("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
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To: Seeking the truth; PeterFinn; Wiggins

Have a heart you guys!

8^)


9 posted on 04/20/2005 5:39:24 PM PDT by BenLurkin (O beautiful for patriot dream - that sees beyond the years)
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To: BenLurkin

Officials say the Taser use was used an unusual amount of times but was justified.

ummm ok.


10 posted on 04/20/2005 5:39:58 PM PDT by scab4faa (My mom says I'm cool.)
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To: bill1952
"Good thing it wasn't a hopped up, pissed off 250lb male"

That would have been much less fun.

11 posted on 04/20/2005 5:40:45 PM PDT by BenLurkin (O beautiful for patriot dream - that sees beyond the years)
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To: BenLurkin

Oh, okay. I'm sorry she's a skank.


12 posted on 04/20/2005 5:42:36 PM PDT by PeterFinn (The Holocaust was perfectly legal.)
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To: BenLurkin

How come this loser couldn't find a finger in her chili like normal sue-a-holics do?


13 posted on 04/20/2005 5:43:02 PM PDT by dennisw ("Sursum corda")
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To: BenLurkin
But authorities Wednesday defended the use of force, saying Skelly was extremely combative.

That's what K-9 is for.


14 posted on 04/20/2005 5:46:54 PM PDT by csvset
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To: BenLurkin
Have a heart you guys!

Your right, I guess I should. Call it a weak moment.

15 posted on 04/20/2005 5:47:15 PM PDT by Wiggins
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To: BenLurkin

Ohh, you better taze her again, she is trying to Bite Her Hand???


16 posted on 04/20/2005 6:02:17 PM PDT by sportutegrl
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To: BenLurkin

Don't look like it did her any good. Zap her again and see if she gets a clue.

Does her attorney think it would be better if they just gave her a night-stick shampoo ?


17 posted on 04/20/2005 7:13:24 PM PDT by festus (The constitution may be flawed but its a whole lot better than what we have now.)
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