[Albert]

The elderly woman was reportedly stopped in her tracks by electroshock while trying to cut dandelions. According to a local official, she was carrying a knife.



A US police chief in Georgia has defended an officer's use of a Taser on an 87-year-old woman cutting dandelions near her home.

The incident occurred last week when a worker at a local Boys and Girls Club called 911 after seeing Martha Al-Bishara, who does not speak English, cutting dandelions with a knife on the club's grounds near her home. According to the employee, she refused to leave, US broadcasters CNN and NBC.

Police in Chatsworth responded to the scene where they reportedly ordered her to drop the knife, using hand gestures to show her what they meant. After she failed to comply, police stunned her with a Taser and then handcuffed her.

"It was the lowest use of force we could have used to simply stop that threat at the time," Chatsworth police chief Josh Etheridge told local media.

She was charged with criminal trespass and obstructing an officer.

Relatives respond

Al-Bishara's granddaughter, Martha Douhne, told NBC that "she thought she got shot."

"We have never really told her about stun guns or Tasers, and so she doesn't know what that is," she said, adding that her grandmother is having trouble sleeping and is afraid to go outside.

Etheridge insisted the old woman had posed a potential threat that justified the use of the Taser.

"An 87-year-old woman with a knife still has the ability to hurt an officer," Etheridge said.

"We began trying to communicate with her, telling her of course to drop the knife ... We didn't know if she just didn't understand us or was having some type of issue."

He added that officer "used the Taser, rather than using deadly force to stop the situation," he said.

Etheridge said the department would continue to review the situation, and that the officer in question remains on duty.

[Decky]

Americans.

[Philby]

If you have to taser you have to taser. Age doesn't count.

Could have been a toddler as well.

It's all Trump style America.

[Suntzu]

Old bag couldn't understand English.

[Pants-of-dog]

If merely holding a knife is reason enough for being shot with a Taser, should people who are holding guns also be Tasered?

[skinster]

Americans.

[Sivad]

If merely holding a knife is reason enough for being shot with a Taser, should people who are holding guns also be Tasered?

Everyone should be tasered. every. single. time. I would have tasered that old lady just for being old in broad daylight. She thought she was sneaky not learning to talk english, well who's sneaky now? She was probably gonna eat those dandelions too.

[Albert]

"An 87-year-old woman with a knife still has the ability to hurt an officer," Etheridge said.

"We began trying to communicate with her, telling her of course to drop the knife ... We didn't know if she just didn't understand us or was having some type of issue."

He added that officer "used the Taser, rather than using deadly force to stop the situation," he said.

We are actually lucky that a more serious situation was avoided.

[Sivad]

We are actually lucky that a more serious situation was avoided.

If that hero in blue hadn't acted when he did more dandelions would have lost their lives to that knife wielding maniac.

[Red_Army]

Trump's early campaign description of Mexicans, "not the best people", "rapists", "drug dealers" all describe police well.

[Ter]

I agree with @Sivad she was a danger to public order, society and Donald Trump. Probably trained by ISIS. I cannot begin to understand why they let her go afterwards instead of shipping her off to Guantanamo where she belongs.

And there is another lesson to be learnt... Habla Ingles, motherfuckers.

[Sivad]

That pig tasered an octogenarian abuela gathering dandelions.

[Sivad]

I agree with @Sivad she was a danger to public order, society and Donald Trump. Probably trained by ISIS. I cannot begin to understand why they let her go afterwards instead of shipping her off to Guantanamo where she belongs.

And there is another lesson to be learnt... Habla Ingles, motherfuckers.

Yeah, I bet they found all manner of dangerous contraband when they cavity searched her.

[Ter]

Here are her booking snap shots.
A dangerous woman if I ever saw one.
Thank god the police was there in time to stop her before she could carry out more atrocities.

[skinster]

You're about as old as her, eh Ter? I hope someday cops do to you what they did to her, while you're eating eggs in the morning. I mean, I'm sure you're using a knife to cut those eggs, very dangerous!

[Decky]

Ter is sensible enough to live somewhere more civilised and developed than the US so I doubt it.

[skinster]

[Oxymandias]

@Ter

She’s a 87 year old grandmother with dementia and can’t speak English. I recall how my 87 year old grandmother needed help cutting soft chicken since she didn’t have the strength to do so. Are Americans skins so soft that an 87 year old grandmother holding a knife is a threat to three armed police officiers? American policemen are pussies to the highest degree.

[Oxymandias]

@Suntzu

That definitely means she’s a threat against three armed and protected policemen. There are other ways of dealing with the situation such as trying to communicate with her in a way she can understand like gesturing her to leave the premises or attempting to identify her and finding out where her family could be and inform them of the situation. But no, apparently to you Suntzu anyone who can’t speak English should be tazed at sight.

Also apparently you don’t have any respect for your elders despite advocating for grown men to have sex with 15 year olds.