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Now, video of the incident has created new problems for the local police department as citizens from around the country question the force used.

The cell phone video ended up on YouTube—and the local police department said it has changed the way they work, NBC 4‘s Mike Bowersock reported.

Virginia Dotson was wandering the Walmart parking lot at 3657 E. Main St. the evening of Aug. 1 with a steak knife. She was telling strangers she would cut them and already had cut herself.

Whitehall officers were called to the scene, but some witnesses said officers used too much force in subduing the woman.

Dotson’s daughter said Dotson found a steak knife in the vehicle, cut herself out of her seat belt and took the knife with her while searching for her daughter.

Dotson, who is believed to be 84 years old, was treated and released from Mount Carmel Medical Center for the head injuries she received when she was taken to the ground.

All seemed said and done with the incident until the video hit YouTube.

Now, Whitehall police are receiving phone calls from around the nation—even though there was little outrage in Central Ohio when the incident occurred.

“We’ve had people from Hollywood calling. We’ve had people from St. Louis, Houston, New York,“ said Whitehall Police Chief Richard Zitzke.

Zitzke estimates the department has received between 100 and 150 calls, some which tied up the phone line for an hour.

“We’ve had one or two people that just called and yelled and hung up the phone. We’ve had actually some death threats towards the officer,“ he said.

www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/nation_outraged_over_whitehall_p
olice_incident/20879/

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Originally posted by Kwicko:

Well, if granny can blame it on the chemtrails, I'm sure the cop can claim the same defense, right?

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Originally posted by AnthonyT:
Hello,

I have seen the video (gruesome) and the news report about the video. An old lady was brandishing a knife and threatening to cut folks.

Your options are to shoot her with a gun, to shoot her with a taser, or to physically restrain her with such a brisk motion that she can't cut you. The officer chose door number three, and granny endured a bloody head injury from her impact with the asphalt.

We know from Inara how little effort it takes to cut someone.

The officer was in a lose, lose, lose scenario. There was no way to deal with knife-brandishing granny without looking like an ass.

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

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Originally posted by AnthonyT:
Hello,

Talking someone down is just fine when they aren't mobile, brandishing a weapon, and threatening to use it. I'm sorry to say, but that crosses my line of tea and buscuits and a chat at noon.

De-escalation is what happens before someone takes out a weapon and threatens to use it on you.

The officer took down granny, disarmed her, and-


Just took her down and disarmed her, and called for the meatwagon. No special malice or abuse of authority present. The officer did exactly what an officer ought to do. The only reason it looks ugly is because it was granny.

--Anthony

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Out2theBlack wrote:

If folk can be trusted to openly carry firearms , which is , as you pointed out , one of the risks of living in a 'free' country , then who's afraid of an elderly lady toting a knife ?

Cowardly cops , that's who...

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Originally posted by Kwicko:

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Out2theBlack wrote:

If folk can be trusted to openly carry firearms , which is , as you pointed out , one of the risks of living in a 'free' country , then who's afraid of an elderly lady toting a knife ?

Cowardly cops , that's who...

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I hate to say it, but O2B actually has quite a good point here.

Although, according to reports, the old bird WAS threatening to cut people, which does indeed escalate the situation a bit.

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Shows a lack of empathy and understanding on the part of the cops , is what...

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Cops are not really adequately trained in de-escalation , or crisis and conflict-resolution scenarios that do not involve coercion or physical force , or whatever other preferred method of violence...

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