Police Brutality or Police Duty? (Video)
August 7th, 2009
Elderly woman carrying knife is body-slammed by officer. Woman seemed to have suffered severe head trauma from the takedown. What do you think?
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Hard to tell, Mo, but I didn't see anything unusual on the officer's part.
I suppose he could have called for backup and this thing could have dragged on.
She could have been tased, that might have subdued her and also killed her.
He saw a chance for a quick takedown and took it.
I'd say we had better be careful in how far we go questioning individual police decisions, made under pressure in the heat of the moment with many other issues to deal with at the same time.
Walt, I'm not a police officer, but the issue is not whether she needed to be disarmed, it's a matter of whether she was an immediate threat and whether it was the appropriate amount of force used.
The woman is in her mid 80s and obviously could only move at a slow pace. Was the amount of force used the "necessary" amount? I don't know. But most officers would tell you letting an event drag on that is NOT of immediate danger to the public is better than rushing to end it and having someone injured in the process. Police negotiate all the time. It's not beyond them to do that and negotiate with her to put the knife down.
My only question is that given the elderly lady's age, apparent physical ailment, and obvious mental condition, was there a better way that police woman could have gotten the knife away? Could she have waited until her partner came over, they go for the knife without undue injury to themselves or the woman?
I am not questioning the decision to disarm her, but whether there was enough thought in the best way to do it with the possibility of injury would be little to none.
In addition, since her daughter was there and other bystanders were there watching her, it seems apparent the daughter or someone called for help. I would think if it was the daughter, they were given some background into what was going on.
I understand pressure in the heat of the moment, but the old woman was not an immediate threat (i.e. she was not about to stab a passerby) to anyone and I think there was enough time to assess the situation, then deal with it accordingly.
One of the problems with the police isn't that they react first then think later…….it is HOW they react first.
Excuse me, but i saw the woman wave the knife in the direction of the officer.
It may not have been clear that she would not use it, but it is equally true that she might have.
Again, the only alternative would have been to secure the area and get more backup. Would that have been the better choice?
You decide, and when you do, try to be in the moment, as best you can, that the officer was in.
The officer wasn't in physical danger, the woman simply couldn't have moved fast enough. I'm SURE pepper spray would have ended it without physical injury. I would like to think that every police department has pepper spray.
Wow, I definetly think the officers are in their right to protect themselves and others but they could have exercised better judgement in this instance. Wow
I agree that a takedown was a risky move for her physical well being.
On the other hand, she was armed. You don't want her lashing out wildly.
I agree she probably couldn't move that fast, but we all know that adrenaline or other chemicals can alter that equation.
http://www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/expe…
WHITEHALL, Ohio—An elderly woman with a weapon was taken to the ground by a Whitehall officer, and witnesses questioned the force used.
NBC 4’s Mike Bowersock got right to the point with a balanced report.
Virginia Dotson was wandering the Walmart parking lot at 3657 E. Main St. Saturday evening with a steak knife. She was telling strangers she would cut them and already had cut herself.
Whitehall officers were called to the scene, but some witnesses said officers used too much force in subduing the woman.
Dotson’s daughter said Dotson found a steak knife in the vehicle, cut herself out of her seat belt and took the knife with her while searching for her daughter.
“There was some kids out there talking to this old lady, and they said something about the old lady hitting them or something,” Stan Brown said.
Brown shot the incident on his cell phone.
Another witness called 911.
Whitehall officer Tammy Scott was the first out of the cruiser.
“She didn’t even ask her to drop the knife. The woman told her when the cop came charging at her. She said, ‘I’m not going to cut you. I’m not going to cut you. She was just calling her daughter’s name out,’ ” witness Tomya Beatty said.
The video told a different story, though: “Ma’am: Can you put the knife down? Put the knife down for me,” Scott said.
A crowd started to gather, and the two officers called for backup.
“There was about to be a riot in front of Walmart yesterday,” Beatty said.
“I believe it could have been taken care of a lot easier than that. I kind of think that was too much force with her being that old,“ Brown said.
“It’s not pretty, but when we’re looking at what could ultimately happen in that situation, the age can’t really be a big factor. It’s a public relations nightmare in some ways, but the officer did what she had to do,” Dr. Richard Weinblatt said.
Weinblatt is the director of the Institute for Public Safety at the Central Ohio Technical College in Licking County and often is quoted on police-force affairs.
He said with what the officers knew at that second, they had to do something.
Dotson, who is believed to be 84 years old, was treated and released from Mount Carmel Medical Center for the head injuries she received when she was taken to the ground.
Dotson’s daughter said her mother needed stitches to close the wounds and her hand may have been broken.
Dotson’s daughter said she left her mother in the vehicle while she ran into Walmart for a purchase necessary in the move she was making with her mother. She said she was not concerned because she wouldn’t be gone long and her mother doesn’t know how to open seat belts.
Dotson has not been charged with any crime.
I still stand behind my pepper spray stance. Nobody was in immediate danger and the officers could feasibly have talked her down…or at least more than two verbal requests. There was no need to rush the situation.
I also stand behind my comments. The female officer could have waited 10 seconds for her partner. Between the two of them, they could have easily handled an 84 year old woman with a steak knife. 10 seconds. 10 little measly seconds.
Keep in mind that the lady herself needs to be considered when saying nobody was in immediate danger. As reported in the NBC 4 story, she had already cut herself. Yes, in hind sight, there might have been better options but I think given the situation, this wasn't a case of a terrible decision.
I would first like to say our men and women in blue have a tremendous amount of responsibility in keeping the peace and enforcing the laws by which we all live. I tend to support them in all they attempt to do. I was not there, however given the circumstances in the video. I would ask the female officer who responded what if this elderly lady had been her Mom, would she have understood her being handled in the same way. This is a teachable moment. If the woman had been Irish or Italian or any other nationality would she have been taken down with the same amount of force. Pepper spray could have worked. Busted scull requiring stitches to close I am sorry I have a problem.