Don't taze me shonny!

Meiz

Today in necessary and justified taserings: an Oklahoma man called 911 and asked for medical attention for his disabled, bedridden 86 year-old grandmother. Did she somehow end up being tasered? I'm surprised you even have to ask.

Instead of sending EMTs, El Reno, Oklahoma sent ten cops, because, safety first. Granny told them to get out of her apartment. Mouthing off to cops? That's a tasering.

"Instead, the apparent leader of the police [defendant Thomas Duran] instructed another policeman to 'Taser her!' He stated in his report that the 86 year-old plaintiff 'took a more aggressive posture in her bed,' and that he was fearful for his safety and the safety of others.
"Lonnie Tinsley told them, 'Don't taze my Granny!' to which they responded that they would Taser him.

So of course they tasered granny twice and stepped on her oxygen tube and grabbed her out of bed and cuffed her and then, well, they had to call the ambulance. But then they threw her in the psych ward for a week, so, game set and match, the police! If only Lonnie Tinsley had exclaimed "Don't taze my Granny, bro!" he could have gotten a great pop culture meme started. Missed opportunity.

[You really should read this entire Courthouse News account. Shout out to Ravi for the tip.
UPDATE: Here's a version that says granny "pulled a kitchen knife and told officers 'she was in control of her life.'" That's a tasering.]


You remember that scene from Terminator where Sarah's in the police station and the Terminator shows up? That's what I'd be doing if my grandma was still alive and they decided to pull this shit.

Seriously, what the fuck?

Article:
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/06/24/28330.htm

Article written from that article:
http://gawker.com/5572740/dont-taze-my-granny

Corehealer

And just when you thought Oklahoma couldn't outdo South Carolina.

Wow.

Calamity Jane

arizona's a little more fun

Squall

so this is an onion article, right?

Usagi

Has anyone picked this up besides Gawker and at something called Courthouse News?

Rent

This is easily the funniest thing I've read all day

Also the most fucked up thing

BAsically, this is hilarious, cops fucking suck fuck cops

Platy

The other site links to a court filing, I don't know whether it is real.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/06/24/TaserGranny.pdf

Hunter

While I'm all for tasering old people for things like excessive ear hair, driving to slow on the highway, or wearing pants up to their necks, how in the fuck can a bed ridden person take an aggressive posture. They are fucking bed ridden. Unless you invade their bed, they can not do shit to you. Especially if you're a trained policeman. If an 85 year old granny is threatening to you from her bed, how are you supposed to handle gang members or supervillains like the Joker.

Fandyien

Hunter wrote: »

While I'm all for tasering old people for things like excessive ear hair, driving to slow on the highway, or wearing pants up to their necks, how in the fuck can a bed ridden person take an aggressive posture. They are fucking bed ridden. Unless you invade their bed, they can not do shit to you. Especially if you're a trained policeman. If an 85 year old granny is threatening to you from her bed, how are you supposed to handle gang members or supervillains like the Joker.

what they didn't mention is everyone involved in this is psychic

Dichotomy

fucckk the poleece, maaaaaan

Grey Ghost

Corehealer wrote: »

And just when you thought Oklahoma couldn't outdo South Carolina.

Wow.

It's only just past noon. Give us a little time down here.

Edcrab

Fandyien wrote: »

Hunter wrote: »

While I'm all for tasering old people for things like excessive ear hair, driving to slow on the highway, or wearing pants up to their necks, how in the fuck can a bed ridden person take an aggressive posture. They are fucking bed ridden. Unless you invade their bed, they can not do shit to you. Especially if you're a trained policeman. If an 85 year old granny is threatening to you from her bed, how are you supposed to handle gang members or supervillains like the Joker.

what they didn't mention is everyone involved in this is psychic

yeah the granny was a tier 25 telekinetic. Knives were floating all around the kitchen

What do you expect the cops to do in that situation

Squall

Rent wrote: »

This is easily the funniest thing I've read all day

Also the most fucked up thing

BAsically, this is hilarious, cops fucking suck fuck cops

oh man thought I was back in the whining forum again

phew

Hobnail

My old man remembers when some sort of drunken brawl ocurred when he was a young man, the Mounties would show up and basically just roll up their sleeves and wade into the crowd. I'm sure more cops used to get fucked up and/or killed in violent situations back then too.

Now it's more pepper spray and tasers, but the officers are safer. I wonder if the trade off between greater officer saftey and more incidents like this is something we just have to deal with, or if many police departments don't have good enough taser guidelines.

Hunter

Hobnail wrote: »

My old man remembers when some sort of drunken brawl ocurred when he was a young man, the Mounties would show up and basically just roll up their sleeves and wade into the crowd. I'm sure more cops used to get fucked up and/or killed in violent situations back then too.

Now it's more pepper spray and tasers, but the officers are safer. I wonder if the trade off between greater officer saftey and more incidents like this is something we just have to deal with, or if many police departments don't have good enough taser guidelines.

Using tasers to clear out a drunken bar fight is a good use of the technology. It helps the officer remain safe while making the person who is breaking the law stop.

Tasering an 85 year old bed ridden lady on oxygen is something I don't think requires that level of force. They could have thrown cotton balls or marshmallows at her and subdued her.

Edcrab

Basically unless the old lady was holding the remote for a bomb or something I don't think there's any way to justify tasering a bed ridden octogenarian

Hobnail

Abolutely, I just don't know whether or not having the technology availible for legitimate purposes makes it inevitable that shit such as this occasionally happens.

Supraluminal

I don't think tasers are at fault here. The problem is that some people are cruel, brutal animals.

Hunter

Edcrab wrote: »

Basically unless the old lady was holding the remote for a bomb or something I don't think there's any way to justify tasering a bed ridden octogenarian

Especially sending in 10 trained police officers. Eliot Ness tackled mafia hideouts with less muscle then that.

Edcrab

Oh it'd be dumb to blame the technology

I mean I think being hit by a taser is a damn sight more preferable to being hit by a bullet, by and large

But I do think there needs to be more thinking about the policy, as apparently they're seen as magic SOLVE PROBLEM buttons by far too many members of the force

Hobnail

Well fault is not the word, tasers are definitley at play here though. Back before tasers I can't imagine there were many cases of cops putting bed ridden octogenarians into sleeper holds.

Edcrab

Hunter wrote: »

Edcrab wrote: »

Basically unless the old lady was holding the remote for a bomb or something I don't think there's any way to justify tasering a bed ridden octogenarian

Especially sending in 10 trained police officers. Eliot Ness tackled mafia hideouts with less muscle then that.

Yeah I really want to know more of the story and understand this ask for an EMT > get ten cops approach

Did someone fuck up at the switchboard and a medical tech was sent to a bank robbery and is wondering what the fuck is going on

Orikaeshigitae

I think it's fake.

Grey Ghost

I was looking at prices for Tazers the other day. I don't even know why! I don't forsee myself being in a situation where I'd need one. But what if....

Projeck

support your local law enforcement

Edcrab

I sure as hell hope it's fake

But it could just as easily be a real story that's been spun by a journalist with nothing better to do

Maybe she was only fifty eight and there was a shotgun in her hand or... something

Meiz

Hahaha
http://gawker.com/5571202/cops-shot-each-other-to-see-if-it-would-hurt

Hobnail

Even if it is though, unwarranted taserings arn't exactly rare.

Blake T

In all honesty I a puzzled why the police were there to begin with.

Edcrab

Stories like this are always used as ammunition over here by the people who don't think the UK force should have access to tasers

As if merely putting a hand on a taser will morph even the most highly trained and dedicated officer into AHURRR IT ARE LIKE A LIGHTNING GUN

Blake T

I'm all for the public not owning guns and Australia doesn't really have a gun culture.

But really I am amazed that the regular police in England go without one.

Hobnail

The UK will end up banning roughly textured surfaces

Supraluminal

Hobnail wrote: »

The UK will end up banning roughly textured surfaces

And hard things.

Blake T

But then you could slip and fall!

Grey Ghost

Edcrab wrote: »

Stories like this are always used as ammunition over here by the people who don't think the UK force should have access to tasers

As if merely putting a hand on a taser will morph even the most highly trained and dedicated officer into AHURRR IT ARE LIKE A LIGHTNING GUN

I know that's what it would do to me. I don't think I should ever own one because the first time someone annoys me I'm gonna be all YOU CALLED DOWN THE THUNDER, MAN! YOU GOT THE WRATH OF ZEUS ON YOUR ASS!

Hobnail

Grey Ghost wrote: »

Edcrab wrote: »

Stories like this are always used as ammunition over here by the people who don't think the UK force should have access to tasers

As if merely putting a hand on a taser will morph even the most highly trained and dedicated officer into AHURRR IT ARE LIKE A LIGHTNING GUN

I know that's what it would do to me. I don't think I should ever own one because the first time someone annoys me I'm gonna be all YOU CALLED DOWN THE THUNDER, MAN! YOU GOT THE WRATH OF ZEUS ON YOUR ASS!

Yeah but then you'd go to jail, so everyone wins

Supraluminal

Blake T wrote: »

But then you could slip and fall!

That's OK, part of the hard-objects ban includes government-mandated cushioned matting for the entire surface of the Earth.

Blake T

But then you could end up on the ground for so long you could get BED SORES.

Blake T

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO THEN GORDON BROWN?

Edcrab

Gordon Brown isn't the PM anymore Blake

Hobnail

Is that crazy person still the mayor of London

I was hoping he'd do well