Last week, 87-year-old grandmother Martha Al-Bishara was using a knife to cut dandelions in the woods near her rural Georgia home, which also happens to be near a Boys and Girls Club, when an employee called the police, concerned about the old woman with a knife.

Upon their arrival, two Chatsworth officers along with Police Chief Josh Etheridge repeatedly asked Al-Bishara to drop the knife. Etheridge said he took a knife from his pocket, showed it to Al-Bishara, and “threw my knife down on the ground, trying to make her understand what we wanted her to do.”1 But she didn’t understand and started to walk toward the group. She then didn’t react when one of the officers turned on his Taser. And so, when she was “approximately five yards away, still holding the knife in her hand, the officer fired his Taser and struck her in the chest, according to police. Officers then helped her to her feet, and placed her in handcuffs.”2

(I understand that the police need to protect themselves and I want them to but the police report says that throughout the entire encounter that the grandmother’s demeanor was calm. Why did they need to taser her then?)

Al-Bishara was arrested for criminal trespass and obstruction of a police officer. Her court appearance is scheduled for September 19.

However, Al-Bishara wasn’t dangerous, she was simply a Syrian native with dementia who didn’t speak English. Something her daughter-in-law explained once she arrived on the scene. She also explained that “the older woman typically wanders into the woods looking for dandelions and collects them using a knife,” 3 to use in a salad she often makes for her husband (the recipe is common in her culture). But, as the dandelions weren’t blooming in her yard and they couldn’t find any in the store, she went for a walk outside.
Etheridge claimed that police used “the least possible force” and that “his officers’ actions were justified” because the Taser pointed at Al-Bishara and unholstered firearm should have been an indication of what police wanted her to do. Evidentally it wasn’t. (Something they might want to remember as they deal with the public.)
Her granddaughter, Martha Douhne said that Al-Bishara didn’t understand what police wanted her to do and that police shouldn’t have used a Taser on her, “Obviously, my grandma did not look violent. With the three, four officers that were here, I think they could have controlled her in other ways.”note]CNN, August 17, 2018.[/note]

Sources and References

  1. CNN, August 17, 2018.
  2. CNN, August 17, 2018.
  3. CNN, August 17, 2018.