Why police used a Taser on an 87-year-old woman

(CNN)An 87-year-old grandmother using a knife to cut dandelions in the woods near her rural Georgia home last week was taken down by a police Taser and arrested, according a police report.

Martha Al-Bishara was arrested for criminal trespass and obstruction of a police officer, according to the report. Chatsworth Police said Al-Bishara did not drop a steak knife despite several commands and a demonstration by officers. At one point, she walked toward officers with the knife, police said.

Police had gone to a wooded area near a Boys and Girls Club last Friday after an employee called 911 to report that an elderly woman was walking around with a knife in the community, around 80 miles north of Atlanta.

More at the source. Sad story but this is what usually happens when you don't follow police commands.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/16/us/georgia-police-taser-woman-dandelions-knife/index.html

“Officers began making hand gestures to indicate dropping a knife, but the woman still did not comply, the report states.

Etheridge told CNN affiliate WTVC that he took a knife from his pocket, showed it to Al-Bishara, and "threw my knife down on the ground, trying to make her understand what we wanted her to do."
At that point, Al-Bishara began to walk toward the group and did not react when one of the officers turned on his Taser, according to the police report.”


She didn’t speak English so they had to mime throwing a knife down. Lucky it wasn’t a gun, ain’t no one got time to mine that shit when someone is armed.

I bet in her defence at court - if that’s where it ends up - her lawyer says she “didn’t understand” and sues the police for tasering her.

One would have thought that given the womans age and appearance, and the fact that she wasn't threatening anyone or appearing to understand, the police officer would have thought the likelihood was that the old lady had some kind of dementia.
To taser her, which could have killed her, was a total over reaction imo.

eddie wrote:“Officers began making hand gestures to indicate dropping a knife, but the woman still did not comply, the report states.

Etheridge told CNN affiliate WTVC that he took a knife from his pocket, showed it to Al-Bishara, and "threw my knife down on the ground, trying to make her understand what we wanted her to do."
At that point, Al-Bishara began to walk toward the group and did not react when one of the officers turned on his Taser, according to the police report.”


She didn’t speak English so they had to mime throwing a knife down. Lucky it wasn’t a gun, ain’t no one got time to mine that shit when someone is armed.

I bet in her defence at court - if that’s where it ends up - her lawyer says she “didn’t understand” and sues the police for tasering her.    

She probably didn't understand Eddie. Some people with dementia (because it affects people very differently) just cant comprehend even the simplest of orders.

Fortunately, it wasn't a gun.

Why would anyone use a knife to cut dandelions?

Raggamuffin wrote:Why would anyone use a knife to cut dandelions?

She has dementia, things that make no sense to us may seem right to her.

Some people with dementia are very violent on occassions, although there doesn't seem to be any indication that she was or was about to be in this instance.

Okay people are not seeing this how it is

Could she with Dementia have cause injury here or fatal injury with the knife?

The view to perceive whether someone is a threat or not, is irrelevant based on age. This person could still cause injury here

What I will condede is one point. In how better to handle people with mental health conditions, but how do you blame officers here, when faced with someone not responding that has a knife? That needs education, but they were unaware

We only know after the circumstances here

She did walk towards them

So what i am sayings in is try and place yourself in this situation

I am not claiming their action was right, but how and why the fear factor of such a weapon can and does lead to people being idiots

So it does not matter whether a relative believes her Grandmother never looked violent. To an officer facing someone not responding to commands coming towards them with a knife. Is then indeed a possible threat

What I will also add here is how unpredicable dementia sufferers can be

From experince, I have seen them turn on those they most love and be very violent sadly. An eldlerly lady suffering this horrid mental condition. Holding a knife, is a possible recipe for disaster. I am actually more thankful no other people were hurt. Even though its horrible she was tasered

The above is true . People with dementia can be violent and suprisingly strong while they are quite frail normally. This is the reason most partners or children can no longer cope with a loved one and have to have them taken care of in a care home. It upsetting enough that the person you know is drifting away, let alone that they actually attack you violently for something they presumably imagine that you've done or intend to do to them ie hurt them presumably.

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