Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Elderly woman slammed hard by police at Walmart
Share:
by lisha | August 14, 2009 at 12:26 am
835 views | 8 Recommendations | 14 comments
Videos
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
A video of an officer taking an 84-year-old woman to the ground to wrestle a steak knife from her in a Walmart parking lot has exploded into a YouTube phenomenon. A few years ago, this sort of incident might have gotten a little play in the local media and then disappeared from public interest, viral-video experts say. But this is the age of online video sharing and social media. As of yesterday afternoon, the video has been viewed more than 400,000 times and generated more than 5,000 comments. Viewers' opinions of Officer Tammy Scott run the gamut: brave, stupid, good, evil, racist. They gave the video an average of four of five stars. Whitehall Chief Richard Zitzke said his department has fielded hundreds of calls about the video from across the United States.
All it took was a cell phone with a built-in video camera to create a major headache for Whitehall police.
{That was definitely a use of excessive force as the old lady was a dottard and not capable of high resistance. Much less force could have been used to disarm her. instead the police officer tossed her and slammed her to the ground. this elderly lady was suffering from Alzheimer, her head was bleeding badly.} too bad.
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (14)
at 08:03 on August 14th, 2009
"this elderly lady was suffering from Alzheimer, her head was bleeding badly."
Well then she shouldn't have been threatening people, especially a police officer, with a knife. Yes, the officer could probably have done it better, but everybody makes mistakes and in the heat of the moment, they are going to do everything they can to neutralize a threat. I don't care if you're 84, you can still be a threat, especially with a weapon.
And again I say, witness the 80 year old lady who got tasered recently because she kept swearing at the officer and trying to get back into her car after speeding. It's not racism or anything else, it's reacting to a threat. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yWaE8tTlsc)
at 08:24 on August 14th, 2009
Alzheimers Disease is one where depending on what stage the woman was in she most likely did not know where she was, why she was there, or what she was doing. Furthermore, due to the deterieortion of her brain it is possible that she would not have been aware she was doing anything wrong. Therefore, you are a fool to say the action taken against hers was justified. The officer could have easily engaged her in a different manner especially because the knife in question was a steak knife.
at 13:31 on August 21st, 2009
Threat? --- what kind of asshole are you? Oh yes --- you are the heartless kind of asshole. Look you fucker, in both cases these were elderly women that posed NO THREAT to 200 lb police officers, some of whom must have elderly Mothers of their own at home. I don't give a damn if this woman even POINTED the knife at the officers or anyone in the crowd. You can RUN from a knife you dullard. Did you see the video? She could barely walk much less wield this knife to the level that she presented a threat. She could have been distracted, grabbed from behind or any other methods that would not have harmed her.
at 09:47 on September 9th, 2009
You are unbelievable stupid
at 08:04 on August 14th, 2009
Sorry, 72. I meant to correct that after I found the right age.
at 08:11 on August 14th, 2009
Sorry, 72. I meant to correct that after I found the right age.
at 14:38 on August 14th, 2009
Its a shame for des american police to beat an old lady. in de vid i saw a woman police is beatin her atleast she shud hav pity n controlled the woman in a different way sa old ladies r fragilen hav a weak body.policeman shud be punished for this.
at 15:24 on August 14th, 2009
Grace you say the old woman had no idea where she was or that she was even doing anything wrong but then imply the officer should have talked the situation down? I've delt with people suffering from Alzheimers Disease and there is no talking sense into them. It doesn't happen. The other thing you mention is that it was only a steak knife. So if someone were pointing a steak knife at you is that ok? I doubt it, it doesn't matter what kind of knife it is, the fact remains that it is a knife. As a police officer myself, I fully support the officer's actions.
This post isn't as bad but others I have read were accusing Officer Scott of being racist. Like I said before I am a police officer, an African American officer, and if I were in that situation I would have done the same thing. The only difference is that it would have been ok because I am black. Give the woman a break, she did an excellent job.
at 20:17 on August 18th, 2009
No there is no excuse. Whenever mental illness is called into play the inherent lack of knowledge leads to this bullshit. The woman walks with a cane. She's eighty four. How much of a threat is that? Yeah its not a joke but she didn't need the shit beaten out of her.
My grandma's seventy eight and bruises like hell. Any bit of contact and peope that old, their skin and body cannot handle it. And furthermore my grandfather has advanced alzheimers. So don't give me that crap I know better.
at 17:47 on August 23rd, 2009
Obviously a racist cop backing another racist cop. Your probably the same cop that would let this female officer go after you stopped her for driving drunk. We all know how the police force works.
at 18:18 on October 14th, 2009
It doesn't matter whether the woman was black, white, or grizzly gray, she did not deserve to be slammed to the ground like a common thug. Evidently you are not as well versed with Alzheimers patients as you say. Yes, they have and display a wide range of emotions and actions but they are not a threat. Wearing a uniform does not give anyone the right to disrespect anyone. This woman was visibly unable to hurt anyone. I hope that you all remember layman terms "what goes around comes around' the word of God says (paraphrase) "you will reap what you sow". The officer will reap what was sowed. It may not come to him/her, it may not come today or tomorrow but it will come. It may be a mother, sister, daughter, grandmother, wife, who knows. What happened to human compassion? Oh, I forgot, we now live in a society where it is every man or woman for themselves. Go figure
at 17:12 on August 15th, 2009
The female white cop is not a racist. As a white male, I would pulverize anyone I saw doing this to a little old lady of any color. Yep, I would have beat that cop till her eyes bulged out. There was and is no justifacation for what happened. There is no one on earth that should have the power to do such a thing. So much for america, we may as well live under Taliban law.
at 17:15 on August 15th, 2009
The old lady did not threaten anyone. She was not charged with anything. She did not point the knife at anyone. It is not illegal to own a steak knife. There was no need to even take it from her.
at 07:34 on August 16th, 2009
I live in Columbus Ohio right down the street she has had 10 stitches, she has a broken wrist, and a possible hip fracture that at 84 years old probably will never heal correctly