87 year old woman killed by cops

[heavenlyboy34]

87-year-old Ore. woman Tasered to death by local cops (http://open.salon.com/blog/gordon_wagner/2010/07/09/87-year-old_ore_woman_tasered_to_death_by_local_cops)

87-year-old Ore. woman dies after hit by stun gun

By TIM FOUGHT, Associated Press

Phyllis Owens apparently didn't know day from night when she died at 87, an hour after sheriff's deputies closed in on her as she reached for a handgun, an officer said Friday.

"We had to respond," said Detective Jim Strovink of the Clackamas County sheriff's office. An officer hiding in the shrubbery around her rural home jolted the frail woman with a stun gun Thursday afternoon, and she collapsed unconscious. She died soon after in the hospital. The autopsy report said her heart disease was the cause of death.

Two Clackamas sheriff's deputies had gone to her wooded housing development near Boring after a man using a backhoe to replace her water line reported that she had threatened him with a handgun, Strovink said. It was about 2:30 p.m. "She came out waving the gun and had him up against the backhoe," Strovink said. "She yelled at him, 'What are you doing here at this time of night?'"

The worker called for help, and deputies arrived to find the woman on her porch, Strovink said. Approaching her, they talked her into putting down the weapon, he said, but she quickly picked it up again.

The probes of the officer's Taser hit her left arm and hip, said Dr. Larry Lewman of the state medical examiner's office. Owens had a history of heart disease and that was the cause of death, Lewman said Friday. He said he would do more research to determine what effect the electrical shock had on her pacemaker.

"A healthy person would not have died this way," Lewman said. Strovink said Owens had recently gotten out of the hospital and was reportedly suffering from dementia.

He said it wasn't clear how she came by the weapon. Since her husband died some years ago, Strovink said, Owens had lived alone in Big Valley Woods, a community about 20 miles southeast of Portland that bills itself as a private development for manufactured housing.

Journalists who visited Friday were ordered to leave. The two deputies, who were not identified, are on administrative leave. That would be the practice if the death was considered the result of lethal force, although Strovink said it wasn't. "But we're handling it as if we had actually shot her," he said.

That includes an investigation involving outside officers. Strovink said that when the woman grabbed her handgun off the porch railing, officers would have been justified in using their firearms, but they didn't. "They did a commendable job in using a minimal amount of force," he said.

[Elwar]

An officer hiding in the shrubbery around her rural home jolted the frail woman with a stun gun Thursday afternoon, and she collapsed unconscious. She died soon after in the hospital. The autopsy report said her heart disease was the cause of death.


Wow, what timing. If they'd waited just a few minutes she would have died anyway from heart disease.

But instead I'm sure people are going to jump to the crazy conclusion that she died from the stun gun that just happened to hit her at the exact same time that she collapsed unconcious from her heart condition.

[awake]

Tasers don't kill, the apes using them do.

[heavenlyboy34]

Wow, what timing. If they'd waited just a few minutes she would have died anyway from heart disease.

But instead I'm sure people are going to jump to the crazy conclusion that she died from the stun gun that just happened to hit her at the exact same time that she collapsed unconcious from her heart condition.

lolz ;)

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

Wow, what timing. If they'd waited just a few minutes she would have died anyway from heart disease.

But instead I'm sure people are going to jump to the crazy conclusion that she died from the stun gun that just happened to hit her at the exact same time that she collapsed unconcious from her heart condition.

At the age of 87, most die from falls. Tell me, did the electricity freeze her in a state of quivering animation or did she actually tumble over and hit the ground after the jolting commenced? Granted, at age 87, one is pretty worthless by then. Seems they don't mention anything about wounds from her hitting the ground. Certainly, if Andy Griffith had of been there, he would have had Barney put away his stun gun being mindful that the elderly most often die from falls.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

Tasers don't kill, the apes using them do.

They should do a study to see if police officers shoot bathroom urinals more with their pistols than they do with their stun guns. Of course, from what they've learned from doing other studies, the lady police officers are more likely to destroy a urinal by knifing it to death.

[Kludge]

I just wish the story had ended better with the death of the person she was waving the gun at so I wouldn't have to read this.

[anaconda]

At the age of 87, most die from falls. Tell me, did the electricity freeze her in a state of quivering animation or did she actually tumble over and hit the ground after the jolting commenced? Granted, at age 87, one is pretty worthless by then. Seems they don't mention anything about wounds from her hitting the ground. Certainly, if Andy Griffith had of been there, he would have had Barney put away his stun gun being mindful that the elderly most often die from falls.


I don't believe that 87 year-olds are worthless.:)

[jclay2]

How do they always justify these thugs. Sure the woman was probably senile, but there was absolutely no threat to anyone before the cops got there. Once they saw the old woman with the gun, what harm would it have been waiting until the woman was asleep to safely go in there and disarm her. Why does everything always have to end immidiately the next second with a taser or a gun? Heaven forbid these guys don't get off their shift at 5:00 oclock. Gosh this is the second time in a month a plus 80 year old has been tased. How much will it take for the sheeple to wake up.

[CCTelander]

But, but, this can't be. Not here in the land of the fee, er, I mean FREE, and the home of the slave, er, BRAVE.

Clearly you must be mistaken. Our stalwart "protectors" in blue would NEVER abuse the power they've so foolishly been granted, would they?

[heavenlyboy34]

But, but, this can't be. Not here in the land of the fee, er, I mean FREE, and the home of the slave, er, BRAVE.

Clearly you must be mistaken. Our stalwart "protectors" in blue would NEVER abuse the power they've so foolishly been granted, would they?

lolz :D;)

[fedup100]

Nazi bastards.


If only Hitler could have lived long enough to witness the fall of the good guys with the white hats.

[catdd]

They rule "heart disease" as the official cause of death.

[jmdrake]

delete

[low preference guy]

prejudicial executions are part of day to day life in the United States.

[Kregisen]

Hard to tell what they should've done without a video.....this doesn't give enough details.

Did she point the gun at the officers? If she pointed it at me, damn right I would use force, I don't give a damn how old she is.

On the other hand, if she was just holding it, then obviously you don't use force.

[Slutter McGee]

Yeah, she was WAVING a gun. So they tazed when they could of SHOT.

Most of the cop stories posted on here are legitimate examples of abuse. But unless more info comes out, not this one

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee

[Krugerrand]

Yeah, she was WAVING a gun. So they tazed when they could of SHOT.

Most of the cop stories posted on here are legitimate examples of abuse. But unless more info comes out, not this one

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee

This is clearly a misrepresentation of the cause of death. Many deaths are caused by stun guns that go reported as something else. This is not a minor issue.

Even if the police officer is justified in the use of force - the cause of death is the stun gun.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

I don't believe that 87 year-olds are worthless.:)

You must have wonderful grandmothers.

[Kludge]

You must have wonderful grandmothers.

I miss your posts on peanut butter, crackers and fishing. Please post more!

[heavenlyboy34]

Yeah, she was WAVING a gun. So they tazed when they could of SHOT.

Most of the cop stories posted on here are legitimate examples of abuse. But unless more info comes out, not this one

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee

Yes, we weak, feeble mundanes must never question authority. :rolleyes:

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

Yeah, she was WAVING a gun. So they tazed when they could of SHOT.

Most of the cop stories posted on here are legitimate examples of abuse. But unless more info comes out, not this one

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee

No one is doubting that. Still, you know the police officer who tazed her is going to get a nickname for doing so. But, yes, he did the right thing. Sometimes grandmothers die. It is a hard fact we will never get used to.

[coastie]

No one is doubting that. Still, you know the police officer who tazed her is going to get a nickname for doing so. But, yes, he did the right thing. Sometimes grandmothers die. It is a hard fact we will never get used to.


I find it astonishing that these bad azz police officers couldn't get the drop on an 87 yr old without using lethal weapons.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

Yes, we weak, feeble mundanes must never question authority. :rolleyes:

I do think this issue is important enough to consider having officers carry a more grandmother friendly lower voltage taser. I think most police officers would agree. Of all the blood and gore that officers like to wander off their beats to take a look at, a fallen grandmother is way down on their list.

[CCTelander]

The thing that really bothers me about this particular incident is the continuing cover-up of the potential lethality of tazers.

Cause of death was her pre-existing heart condition, eh?

COULD that be true? Sure, it COULD.

Is it possible that being jolted with 50,000 volts had SOMETHING to do with it, ESPECIALLY considering her pre-existing condition? One would have to be a complete idiot NOT to make that connection.

Then there's the fact that as recently as 30 years ago the cops would have found some way of subduing this old lady without giving her a potentially lethal jolt.

[Monarchist]

Where was Grandma's family when she was home alone with a handgun? With a degenerative brain disorder.

[Krugerrand]

^^^ What CCTelander said.


I find it astonishing that these bad azz police officers couldn't get the drop on an 87 yr old without using lethal weapons.

The problem is that the police are being told time and again that their tazer is NOT a lethal weapon.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

I find it astonishing that these bad azz police officers couldn't get the drop on an 87 yr old without using lethal weapons.

Of course, you know we shouldn't make light of this. Still, I have to agree. Just wet the end of one of those rubber toy arrows and aim high on her head so it would stick it on her forehead. The shock alone would have had her drop the gun.
You know, I have a tremendous respect for grandmothers and their incredible bravery. I once witnessed a grandmother back up freeway traffic so she could get out of her car and pick up a stray dog stranded on it. Most would say she was just a typical old woman, but, in my opinion, she was demonstrating the kind of spirit that created this great nation.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

The thing that really bothers me about this particular incident is the continuing cover-up of the potential lethality of tazers.

Cause of death was her pre-existing heart condition, eh?

COULD that be true? Sure, it COULD.

Is it possible that being jolted with 50,000 volts had SOMETHING to do with it, ESPECIALLY considering her pre-existing condition? One would have to be a complete idiot NOT to make that connection.

Then there's the fact that as recently as 30 years ago the cops would have found some way of subduing this old lady without giving her a potentially lethal jolt.

True. And police officers, at least in my part of town, are no longer required to be tazed as part of them being certified to operate one.

[A. Havnes]

They call that restrained force? 20 years ago, they would have found a way to subdue her without the use of a tazer. What they did was just sick, and they claim that she just dropped from a heart attack very conveniently as they shocked her, which makes it worse. She might have been confused, but she sure as heck didn't need to be ambushed by cops!

Oh, and I also don't believe that 87-year-olds are worthless. This is hard for me, as I just recently lost my grandmother. She was my very best friend and was always more of a mother to me than my own mother. As such, reading some of the negative comments regarding the worth of the elderly isn't that great.

[coastie]

^^^ What CCTelander said.



The problem is that the police are being told time and again that their tazer is NOT a lethal weapon.


I've seen live Taser demos with several different depts throughout the country, bullshit, they KNOW its very lethal to people with heart conditions, epilepsy, etc potentially lethal.This is why on the med form you fill out BEFORE you get tased, it asks whether you have heart problems. I really wish I would've picked up an extra one of those during a demo I attended:mad:

It's The MUNDANES that are told time and time again that they're not lethal.;)

[heavenlyboy34]

I do think this issue is important enough to consider having officers carry a more grandmother friendly lower voltage taser. I think most police officers would agree. Of all the blood and gore that officers like to wander off their beats to take a look at, a fallen grandmother is way down on their list.

And these "grandmother friendly lower voltage tasers" must of course be paid for by taxation of potential victims of state crimes. There is no other way to be safe! All hail the nanny state! :rolleyes: /sarcasm

[anaconda]

You must have wonderful grandmothers.

Don't you?:)

[Mopsus]

Dammit, why couldn't an episode of "Matlock" or "The Price is Right" been on to diffuse this sad event?

[Rael]

You know what? I hate cops, but if you are waving a gun at me, I don't care what your age is, I'm going to draw on your ass. You should hope to be so lucky as to only get tazed.