Taser used on 72 yr. old Granny...

[bryang]

Officer Shoots 72-Year-Old Texas Woman With Taser During Traffic Stop

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

AUSTIN, Texas — She dared a deputy constable to shock her with a Taser.

So, he did.

Video released by a Travis County Constable's Office shows Deputy Chris Bieze confronting 72-year-old Kathryn Winkfein after stopping her for speeding on May 11 just outside Austin.

Video from a camera mounted in the deputy's car shows Winkfein cursing and challenging the deputy and even daring him to use the Taser on her.

"You're going to shove me? You're going to shove a 72-year-old woman?" she yelled.

Winkfein told KTBC-TV in Austin that she did nothing to provoke the use of the Taser.

But Precinct 3 Sgt. Maj. Gary Griffin said Bieze used the Taser only after Winkfein became combative.

There was no immediate comment from Winkfein on Wednesday. A call to her home was answered by a fax machine.

Video Click on Bad Grandma?

Was the officer justified in using a Taser on a 72yr old Granny?

-geo

[Commander Cody]

I saw the videos as well and in my opinion it could have been stopped short of tasing.

[bryang]

I thought he could have handled it better, also. She was only 5 foot something and he was towering over her. It looks like he should be able to cuff her without using the Taser.

-geo

[longhorn_92]

I thought he could have handled it better, also. She was only 5 foot something and he was towering over her. It looks like he should be able to cuff her without using the Taser.

-geo

[bryang]

You have a point there, Russell, she was definitely way out of order from the very beginning of the stop.

Maybe the lesson here is, you don't double-dog-dare an angry officer with a drawn taser... to pull the trigger.

-geo

[cowboymd]

I think he handled it as best he could, the lady was out of control and it appears he refrained as long as he felt it was safe. What would be being said, if he had grabbed her and broke her fragile 72 year old arm while she struggled? The officer was put in a bad situation (caused by the lady) and dealt with it as he thought he needed to for the safety of both. Just my .02 worth.

[RiveraRa]

I think that not only was she 72 yrs old, not only did he tower over her, but he also demonstrated that he would have had no problem cuffing her when he shoved her. He threw her like a rag doll. He would have had no problem cuffing her. Thats what hes trained to do.

And as for accidentally breaking her arm....what about when she landed on the ground from being tased. What about if she had a pace maker.

She was a jerk. She deserved the ticket, she might have deserved the arrest. But to be tasered? No. Also, I believe that we are not allowed to tase terrorists because it is considered torture. (hearsay?)

[USA1]

I thought he could have handled it better, also. She was only 5 foot something and he was towering over her. It looks like he should be able to cuff her without using the Taser.

-geo

thats like tasering your mother or something...save the juice for someone who deserves it !
there are plenty of others who could use a good zap.

[The Annoyed Man]

She'd a complained if she was hung with a new rope. I'll bet she would have chosen getting tased if she knew the alternative was the old wooden shampoo.

[WildBill]

She'd a complained if she was hung with a new rope. I'll bet she would have chosen getting tased if she knew the alternative was the old wooden shampoo.

I guess that this proves, no matter who you are or how old you are, "Don't Mess With The Man".

[The Annoyed Man]

She'd a complained if she was hung with a new rope. I'll bet she would have chosen getting tased if she knew the alternative was the old wooden shampoo.

I guess that this proves, no matter who you are or how old you are, "Don't Mess With The Man".

Yep. I was kidding about the wooden shampoo, but you're right. There just isn't any percentage in antagonizing the officer who has just pulled you over. At 72 years old, you'd think that granny would have figured this one out by now.

[bpet]

The old biddy played the age card and lost!

I feel sorry for her husband (assuming he's still alive which is doubtful given her attitude). I can't imagine living with someone with that kind of chip on their shoulder and I've been married to the same woman for 40 years. I can't imagine living with someone more than 2 days if you have to put up with that guff.

Now before anyone gets the wrong idea, I don't think the officer was correct in his decision to tase the ill tempered lady. He clearly could have overpowered her and put her in cuffs or he could have called for help (although he would never have lived that down). He clearly was faced with a safety problem, and any action taken to overpower her with force could have resulted in physical harm, but, I think he let her attitude get to him and he followed through on his threat and a response to her dare.

Calmer words and attitudes probably could have avoided the incident.

[apostate]

Ask and ye shall receive. Here endeth the lesson.

[k6gixx]

I think that not only was she 72 yrs old, not only did he tower over her, but he also demonstrated that he would have had no problem cuffing her when he shoved her. He threw her like a rag doll. He would have had no problem cuffing her. Thats what hes trained to do.

And as for accidentally breaking her arm....what about when she landed on the ground from being tased. What about if she had a pace maker.

She was a jerk. She deserved the ticket, she might have deserved the arrest. But to be tasered? No. Also, I believe that we are not allowed to tase terrorists because it is considered torture. (hearsay?)

I suggest you research the effects and specs of a Taser sir. It has been proven time and time again that Tasers do not affect the performance of a pace-maker. And yes he may have towered over her, however tactics the police are taught do not allow the use of "gentleness" in the case of the elderly or infirmed. If he had to take her down it would have been much worse for her. His only options were a: tase her b: spray her c: use his baton or d: use a pressure point or physical force designed to put a healthy male on the ground. You decide. I do this stuff for a living and IMHO the officer used the most effective, least destructive force necessary to subdue the individual.