Skip to comments.
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
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)
To: BenLurkin
3
posted on
04/20/2005 5:32:34 PM PDT
by
Seeking the truth
(0cents.com - Pajama Patrol Badges are here!)
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.)
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.)
To: BenLurkin
6
posted on
04/20/2005 5:33:42 PM PDT
by
Wiggins
To: BenLurkin
She's a "Skell" literally.
7
posted on
04/20/2005 5:36:03 PM PDT
by
Wiggins
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.")
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)
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.)
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)
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.)
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")
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
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
To: BenLurkin
Ohh, you better taze her again, she is trying to Bite Her Hand???
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.)
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson