Go Ahead, Tase Me

The story was all over the news. On May 11, 2009, a 72 year-old woman, Kathryn Winkfein, was pulled over by a Travis County deputy constable for driving 60 mph in a 45 mph construction zone. The woman refused to sign the citation. She became belligerent with the officer, and she was warned 5 times that she would be arrested. Then, she was tasered.

Sounds a bit horrific at first, doesn’t it? Hold on a second - you are going to taser a 72 year-old, 4-foot-11 great-grandmother? Did I hear that correctly?

Winkfein was deemed to be in the wrong, under the laws that protect us all, and an officer did what he felt was necessary within his responsibility. An internal investigation found no policy violations. The deputy constable in question was cleared of any wrongdoing. Should be over, right?

Well, it’s not quite so simple. Take a look here:

So tell me how she could state that her civil rights had been violated – retained legal counsel - and threatened to file suit for $165,000. The county settled for $40,000. Constable Richard McCain aptly stated “so anyone can write a letter to the county commissioners, and they’re going to start forking over our tax dollars? She is being rewarded for bad behavior”.

Pulled over for speeding – and $40,000 ahead of the game - $40,000 of taxpayer’s money.

Well it gets better. Apparently bad behavior is good enough to not only pay well, but also make you a celebrity in the process. Winkfein appeared on NBC’s “Today” show. She acknowledged that she lost her temper and did not behave in an appropriate manner.

I know there are some that may question the need for the constable’s use of ANY force. And I believe that in many situations, law enforcement officers can be in difficult situations that demand quick decisions. I’ve been on this stretch of road, and it’s not a safe place to be having a confrontation on the side of the road.

Although we have rights under the law, we also have responsibilities. The law doesn’t enforce the right to ignorance or idiocy. Or disrespectful behavior, from either party.

But the worst part is that I know, without doubt, that my tax dollars don’t go to pay a 72-year-old woman for a settlement she didn’t deserve, for behavior that was beyond inappropriate and admitted as such. The problem is that bad behavior does in fact pay – handsomely – in our society these days. It’s not just celebrities, and it’s not just pro athletes. It’s right there in your own backyard. Sadly, it is yet another fine example of Warhol’s “15 minutes of fame” – and an example for which we, as taxpayers and members of a civil society, all pay.

Photo credit: Wikipedia