Nation Outraged Over Cop Taking Down 84 Year Old Alzheimer’s Patient

[Sol Invictus]

Denise Yost
NBC4i
August 12, 2009

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An elderly woman with a weapon was taken to the ground by a Whitehall officer—and the incident was caught on tape.

Now, video of the incident has created new problems for the local police department as citizens from around the country question the force used.

The cell phone video ended up on YouTube—and the local police department said it has changed the way they work, NBC 4‘s Mike Bowersock reported.

Virginia Dotson was wandering the Walmart parking lot at 3657 E. Main St. the evening of Aug. 1 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.

Full Article (http://www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/nation_outraged_over_whitehall_police_incident/20879/)

[Gooding]

She had a knife, she was threatening others and the police had to neutralize her.Too much force? They should've Tasered her! She might be an old woman, but a sharp knife's a sharp knife, period and doubly dangerous when some daft old woman's wielding it.

[Frigga]

I get bothered by people who show outrage at law enforcement that are only doing their jobs. Are these people who are complaining willing to be law enforcement officers since they say the current ones are doing such a poor job? If they're griping about the bad performance, maybe they should do a better job themselves. If they can't do it better, maybe they should stop whining. :rolleyes2:

[Atlas]

Gooding is right who care if she has Alzheimer, chronic headaches or diarea. She had a weapon and as such was a threat. Tough shit.

[Sol Invictus]

I think excessive force was used in this case, but my girlfriend, who's also going to be a police officer says there wasn't. My opinion is when dealing with people like this, you have to take a whole lot of things into consideration, and you have to justify why it is you used the force you used. This woman suffers from an mental illness, and in Law Enforcement, people with a Mental Illness or a person who is showing signs from being an MI must have special care given to them.

This is a very old woman with a very large knife. Police are trained in use of force on how to disarms someone with a knife and it doesn't necessarily involve wrestling her to the ground which would involve her being possibly injured. Although I congradulate these Officers for possibly saving someone on the outside being injured, or even suverely injuring herself, I doubt the use of force they used was justified at all. I'm no lawyer, but I know for a fact that if this woman develops any injuries as a result of the force the officers used, I think it's safe to say that they're in for one hell of a day in court trying to articulate why they used the extreme force they used. And the video recording is pretty damning against them..

PS. Tasers on an elderly lady is out of the question! That would cause more harm to her than what was seen in this video! Peperspray would've been a much better alternative in my opinion.

[Gooding]

I think excessive force was used in this case, but my girlfriend, who's also going to be a police officer says there wasn't. My opinion is when dealing with people like this, you have to take a whole lot of things into consideration, and you have to justify why it is you used the force you used. This woman suffers from an mental illness, and in Law Enforcement, people with a Mental Illness or a person who is showing signs from being an MI must have special care given to them.

This is a very old woman with a very large knife. Police are trained in use of force on how to disarms someone with a knife and it doesn't necessarily involve wrestling her to the ground which would involve her being possibly injured. Although I congradulate these Officers for possibly saving someone on the outside being injured, or even suverely injuring herself, I doubt the use of force they used was justified at all. I'm no lawyer, but I know for a fact that if this woman develops any injuries as a result of the force the officers used, I think it's safe to say that they're in for one hell of a day in court trying to articulate why they used the extreme force they used. And the video recording is pretty damning against them..

PS. Tasers on an elderly lady is out of the question! That would cause more harm to her than what was seen in this video! Peperspray would've been a much better alternative in my opinion.

V.A., you're going to be an exceptionally good officer and if your compassionate attitude is typical of your profession up in Canada, you present a strong argument for emigration. Our police force down here is notorious for it's "pursue and punish" reputation and the idea of a police officer giving special consideration to anything or anyone other than a coworker is somewhat of a novelty. To be honest with you, though, it's hard for me to feel compassionate to some person, elderly or not, sick or not, who's wandering about in a public place threatening people with a potentially lethal weapon.Sure, pepperspray would've achieved the same effect, but the trouble with that will always be the possibility of a wind current blowing the spray back in the officer's face.She needed to be detatched from that knife.Maybe a medic should've given her a tranquilizer shot from behind..

[Fortis in Arduis]

V.A., you're going to be an exceptionally good officer and if your compassionate attitude is typical of your profession up in Canada, you present a strong argument for emigration. Our police force down here is notorious for it's "pursue and punish" reputation and the idea of a police officer giving special consideration to anything or anyone other than a coworker is somewhat of a novelty. To be honest with you, though, it's hard for me to feel compassionate to some person, elderly or not, sick or not, who's wandering about in a public place threatening people with a potentially lethal weapon.Sure, pepperspray would've achieved the same effect, but the trouble with that will always be the possibility of a wind current blowing the spray back in the officer's face.She needed to be detatched from that knife.Maybe a medic should've given her a tranquilizer shot from behind..

Welcome to the bullshit lounge. :lightbul:

[Gooding]

Try to write a thoughtful and serious post...and all of a sudden somebody from the peanut gallery decides to be a critic. :P :D