Article from The Daily Wire by Joseph Curl.
An 87-year-old grandmother who was using a knife to snip dandelions for a salad was tasered in the chest by police — and the chief of police defends the use of force.
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Two Chatsworth officers and Police Chief Josh Etheridge headed to the scene. According to their police report, they repeatedly asked Al-Bishara to drop the knife. “Her demeanor was calm, even when we had our guns out,” an officer noted in the police report.
Al-Bishara walked toward the police, and when she was about five yards away, one officer fired his Taser and struck her in the chest. Officers then picked her up and placed her in handcuffs.
Etheridge told WTVC that police used the “lowest use of force” they could. “An 87-year-old woman with a knife still has the ability to hurt an officer,” he said. “In my opinion, it was the lowest use of force we could have used to simply stop that threat at the time.”
Read the entire article at The Daily Wire.
Image Credit: By Jamelle Bouie [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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She was not violent. She was cutting dandelions to use for food.
Al-Bishara? Did the ‘officers’ ask her if she understood ENGLISH?
Martha’s looks like a tough old bird but I’d bet two trained, professional law enforcement officers could take her, even with a knife and even without a taser. That said, it’s pretty stupid to disobey officers’ commands. That said, the city probably will pay a neat settlement anyway.
I agree with elmer. She may not have understood english. It amazes me that these police officers could have felt threatened. They said she was peaceful. I hope those police officers think about that 87 year old grandma every time they look at their grandma.
The elderly lady was tasered, arrested and charged, then released on bail or what one wonders. Were the “arresting officers” decorated?
Two more extremely brave officers who put they’re donuts and coffee in extreme danger are now being backed and praised by they’re superiors.
What are these Police thinking? An 87-year-old woman? Ok, I can see just what is going on now. Now they are going to do just like the UK and start to outlaw knives Right? How F***ing STUPID. I’m telling all Americans this is going to, to, fare.
The police asked her to drop the knife a number of times she did not do so. Under most rules of engagement if the subject is within 21 feet armed with a knife under the law they could have used DEADLY force not just tasered her. As to why she did not comply is unknown but under the circumstances the taser was the best option. What were the officers supposed to do let her knife them??