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Travis County, TX constable tased a 72-year old grandmother
for refusing to sign a speeding ticket. She was going 15 mph
over the speed limit. He said she was resisting arrest. You decide.

Police still don't get it. Stun guns by any name are simply not "non-lethal" weapons. They are merely "less lethal" than firearms. That was the argument used by stun gun manufacturers to convince city, county and State procurement officials that the product made sense when officers were faced with threats that were "less than lethal"—a "less than lethal" response to subdue the subject. The idea is that you don't shoot someone with a firearm who is attempting to assault an officer if that person is not armed. Today, this not-quite-lethal weapon is used as a cattle prod to control people—most of whom have not committed crimes serious enough for a weapon of this nature. Most are subdued with this weapon simply because they didn't respond to orders fast enough. In the case with Kathryn Winkfein, the 72-year old was stopped while driving 60 mph on a stretch of Hwy 71 posted at 45 mph. She refused to sign the ticket, dismissed the officer and decided to leave the scene "of the crime."

Police are still standing behind Constable Richard McCain who stunned Winkfein repeatedly, even after she asked the officer to stop, saying she would sign the ticket. After watching one version of the incident, Fox News' Brian Kilmeade commented: "Officers insisted they acted by the book. What book is that?"

As noted, Winkfein is 72-years old. If she had a heart condition, or wore a pacemaker, May 11, 2009 may very well have been the last day of her life. Every State in the Union must begin to view stun guns as just slightly less lethal than firearms. These weapons must be used only when the life of the officer is threatened by superior force. Police officers who use stun guns on the people who pose no threat of bodily injury to the officer need to be dismissed from their job and charged with felony assault.

 

 

Just Say No
Copyright © 2009 Jon Christian Ryter.
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