Oklahoma police pepper spray 84-year-old woman (WATCH)
An 84-year-old woman was pepper sprayed by police, and the incident was all caught on police body cameras.
The incident happened on August 7 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Police say they were looking for 56-year-old Arthur Blackmon, who allegedly ran a stop sign and refused to stop.
Officers followed him home, where his 84-year-old mother Geneva Smith lived, and told him to exit the house. When he refused, they kicked in the door and eventually tasered him.
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Unedited video released by the police showed officers barging into the home and a scene of confusion. After Smith asks what’s going on, a female officer is heard yelling at her to “Turn around! Turn around!”
“Get out of my godd*mn face!” Smith responds. “I’m 84 years old, don’t f—k with me! I ain’t turning around for s—t!”
The officer then tells Smith to turn around or she will be sprayed and within seconds sprays her in the eyes.
“Oh, Lord, help me, Jesus! My eyes!” Smith can be heard yelling, and she falls back. Officers then proceed to handcuff her on the ground.
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According to Smith, she was taken to jail, where she suffered a panic attack and had to be hospitalized. She plans to take legal action against the Oklahoma police department.
“This lady is 84 years old and frail,” said Cedric Johnson, a member of the local NAACP. “Bottom line is Geneva should not have been pepper-sprayed.”
Scott Wood, the attorney representing the town, says that police had reason to be on edge.
“It starts off as a traffic stop — that’s a low misdemeanor — but based on the other evidence gathered in those three minutes… it could be a severe crime,” says Wood. “It could have been a home invasion.”
The incident is still being investigated.
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(Source: Washington Post)
