Bed ridden granny gets Tazed-'took a more aggressive posture in her bed,

[ratcatcher55]

I believe a TAZER does save lot of lives and injuries to both LEO and suspects but for the love of God folks get some SOP's in place.


CN) - Police Tasered an 86-year-old disabled grandma in her bed and stepped on her oxygen hose until she couldn't breathe, after her grandson called 911 seeking medical assistance, the woman and her grandson claim in Oklahoma City Federal Court. Though the grandson said, "Don't Taze my granny!" an El Reno police officer told another cop to "Taser her!" and wrote in his police report that he did so because the old woman "took a more aggressive posture in her bed," according to the complaint.
     Lonnie Tinsley claims that he called 911 after he went to check on his grandmother, whom he found in her bed, "connected to a portable oxygen concentrator with a long hose." She is "in marginal health, [and] takes several prescribed medications daily," and "was unable to tell him exactly when she had taken her meds," so, Tinsley says, he called 911 "to ask for an emergency medical technician to come to her apartment to evaluate her."
     In response, "as many as ten El Reno police" officers "pushed their way through the door," according to the complaint.
     The grandma, Lona Varner, "told them to get out of her apartment."
     The remarkable complaint continues: "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; instead, they pulled him out of her apartment, took him down to the floor, handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a police car.
     "The police then proceeded to approach Ms. Varner in her bed and stepped on her oxygen hose until she began to suffer oxygen deprivation.
     "The police then fired a Taser at her and only one wire struck her, in the left arm; the police then fired a second Taser, striking her to the right and left of the midline of her upper chest and applied high voltage, causing burns to her chest, extreme pain and to pass out.
     "The police then grabbed Ms. Varner by her forearms and jerked hands together, causing her soft flesh to tear and bleed on her bed; they then handcuffed her.
     "The police freed Lonnie Tinsley from his incarceration in the back of the police car and permitted him to accompany the ambulance with his grandmother."
     Tinsley says the cops capped it all off by having his grandmother "placed in the psychiatric ward at the direction of the El Reno police; she was held there for six days and released."
     "As a result of the wrongful arrest and detention, the plaintiff Lona M. Varner suffered the unlawful restraint of her freedom, bodily injury, assault, battery, the trashing of her apartment, humiliation, loss of personal dignity, infliction of emotional distress and medical bills."
     They seek punitive damages for constitutional violations, from the City of El Reno, Duran, Officers Frank Tinga and Joseph Sandberg, and 10 Officers Does.
     They are represented by Brian Dell of Oklahoma City.

[Pathfinder]

If this is even remotely true, fire the cops. Period.

I hope the family takes the city or whoever they belonged to to the cleaners.

Where is that story about the police chief who quit because he did not like what was happeneing to the PDs threse days?

[WatchManUSA]

'took a more aggressive posture in her bed'

This is unbelievable.  I'd like to know what kind of 'aggressive posture' could an 86-year old bedridden woman on oxygen muster that could make a police office feel threatened.  I'm glad they showed some restraint otherwise they may have shot her.

I don't know if she has dentures but perhaps she told her teeth to sick-em!

[fightingquaker13]

How do you write that on a report with a straight face? "Took a more aggresive posture in her bed? Did he think he was helping himself? Lets assume she was bat shit crazy and screaming obcenities and hurling dung. You're telling me multiple officers can't subdue a bedridden 86 year old on oxygen without causing anything more than brusied wrists? For that alone they should be fired. Just incompetance. Then, what part of sending 50,000 volts of electricity ito the chest of an elderly woman (whom one would assume had heart problems), seem a good idea? Handcuffs? Ever here of osteoperosis? Where did they hire these guys, Buchenwald or the guys that couldn't pass the janitorial IQ test? If I were the Mayor I would be quoting Toby Ziegler from West Wing: "I'm going to kill them. With my bare hands I'm going to kill them".
I'd expect to see that entire town up for sale on e-bay inside of a year.
FQ13 who would hate to be on that jury. I'm sure ROFLing in the jury box will get you fined for contempt. .

[bafsu92]

If they'd do that to an invalid 86 year old imagine how they'd treat a belligerent 26 year old. I seriously thought that was a joke when I read it. Just documenting that in a report should cost you your job and criminal charges.

[Sponsor]

[tt11758]

Sorry, but that story sets off my bullsh*t detector.

[Johnny Bravo]

This is all I could find

www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=5443151&tt=s
www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=5443151&tt=s

[Hazcat]

REX HOGAN
Edition:Sunday, January 03, 2010

El Reno police said they were forced to taser an 86-year-old El Reno woman last week who was threatening to kill herself and threatened officers with a knife.
The incident occurred Dec. 22 at the Elizabeth Place Apartments, 1955 S. Shephard, said Police Chief Ken Brown.
Brown said the woman's grandson telephoned police asking for help for his grandmother, who he said was threatening to overdose on medication. The chief said when officers arrived, they found the woman lying on a bed. He said when the woman saw the officers she ordered them out of her home and told them that she “wanted to die.”
Brown said the woman pulled a kitchen knife and told officers “she was in control of her life.” Brown said officers then tasered the woman and took the knife.
Brown said the woman was taken to Parkview Hospital where the tasers were removed and she was admitted to a mental health center.

http://www.elrenotribune.com/CatIndex.aspx?pageType=1&id=4000

[Big Frank]

Which report are we supposed to believe?

[sledgemeister]

Even if the latter story was true why would you use a tazer around ventilators and oxygen? Ummm Hellooooooo
Secondly dont police there carry battons, seriously couldnt one reasonably able policeperson knock the damn knife out of her hand, she is bed ridden and disabled, whats next pulling over a wheel chair bound person for speeding and shooting them for non compliance?
Based on the little known facts I think at the very least the officers should be ashamed of themselves and seriously consider when the day comes they can not restrain a invalid granny on oxygen in a damn bed with out the use of a taser then a new career path should be chosen.