72 Year Old Woman Hit with Taser During Traffic Stop

**TXCharlie** · 06-09-09, 11:13 PM

That's a crogedy little old woman

WATCH: Woman, 72, hit with Taser during traffic stop | News for Austin, Texas | KVUE.com | Top Stories

Dashcam Video: Local | Video On Demand | News for Austin, Texas | KVUE.com |

WATCH: Woman, 72, hit with Taser during traffic stop

07:44 PM CDT on Tuesday, June 9, 2009

By JIM BERGAMO / KVUE News

The Travis County Constable's Office Precinct 3 Tuesday released the dashboard camera video of a questionable traffic stop on Highway 71. The question is, did the deputy go too far in getting the 72-year-old woman to comply or did her actions along a dangerous stretch of highway warranted her being tasered?

Video

June 9th, 2009

On the afternoon of May 11, Travis County Deputy Constable Chris Bieze pulled over a white Toyota pickup truck driven by Kathryn Winkfein, 72. The incident report shows she was clocked driving 60 miles an hour in a 45 mile an hour construction zone along Highway 71. After writing the ticket, Bieze radioed to the Precinct 3 dispatcher that it's a routine traffic stop, but what followed was anything but routine. When Deputy Bieze presented Winkfein with the ticket, she refused to sign.

"I'm not going to sign it, go ahead and take me to jail, go ahead and take me to jail," Winkfein can be heard telling the deputy in the video.

At that point, Bieze informed her if she doesn't sign, he will have to take her to jail, which is standard policy. He then opened her door and asked her to move to the rear of the vehicle. Once out of the vehicle, Winkfein agrees to sign the ticket. She uses profanity in doing so.

"Give me the (BLEEPING) thing and just let me sign it," Winkfein said.

"Get over here now," Deputy Bieze said.

Winkfein then attempts to walk around Deputy Bieze. That's when he pushes her backward.

"Oh you are going to shove a 72-year-old woman," Winkfein yells.

In the incident report, Deputy Bieze claimed he pushed Winkfein back to keep both of them safe. Along the stretch of Highway 71, there's only about two feet of shoulder.
"And at that point she tries to walk around him and if she were to continue her path... she would have walked right out into the main oncoming traffic," said Sgt. Major Gary Griffin, Travis County Constable's Office Precinct 3.

Bieze then warned Winkfein that he will use his Taser if she doesn't step back. Winkfein responds with "go ahead and tase me."

"I dare you," she said.

After repeated warnings, Bieze does use his Taser.

"Get on the ground," Bieze commanded Winkfein as she falls to the ground screaming.
"She was an adult; she was told nine times to comply; she chose all nine times to disregard the orders of a Texas peace officer," Griffin said.

After being tased, Winkfein's tone with the deputy softens.

"Do you understand ma'am?" Bieze asks her.

"Yes, sir," she replies.

We attempted to get Winkfein's side of the story, but no one answered at her Granite Shoals home. While the Precinct 3 Constable's Office claims none of the Taser darts penetrated Winkfein's skin, one of her neighbors told KVUE News off camera that Winkfein showed her the pink marks on her neck -- one of the two spots where she was struck. Still, despite Winkfein's age, Sgt. Griffin says his deputy made the right decision when met with physical resistance.

"If I hit that woman with this, I am going to break something, I am going to break something, he didn't break nothin'!" Griffin said.

KVUE has learned that Deputy Beize is the Taser instructor for Precinct 3. We're told he would know if tasering Winkfein could have been a hazard to her health.

The Precinct 3 Constable's Office says it is unaware of any pending litigation by Winkfein, but she has been charged with resisting arrest -- a misdemeanor.

**CTR man** · 06-10-09, 12:08 AM

Feisty one isn't she? That being said, she deserved every thing she got. He gave her plenty of chances to comply. Sure he could have let her sign the cite once out of the car but he didn't have to. She dared him to tase her? WOW!!! I think I read somewhere that he is a taser instructor, too. So he should know full well the properties and effects of the taser. Deputy showed incredible restraint but was given no choice. I am glad to see that the Sgt is standing behind him.

Though, the bleeding heart liberals are going to say "AAAAHHHH! He tased a 72 year old woman, he could have killed her! AAAAHHHH" If she would have complied, or just signed the cite in the beginning, then she wouldn't be in this predicament, would she?

**IndianaFuzz** · 06-10-09, 04:12 AM

Originally Posted by CTR man

Feisty one isn't she? That being said, she deserved every thing she got. He gave her plenty of chances to comply.

If she would have complied, or just signed the cite in the beginning, then she wouldn't be in this predicament, would she?

+1
Exactamundo!

**IndianaFuzz** · 06-10-09, 04:13 AM

This story about geriatric tasings makes me wonder..............has TXCharlie been tased yet?

**cwtlady** · 06-10-09, 06:43 AM

Originally Posted by CTR man

Feisty one isn't she? That being said, she deserved every thing she got. He gave her plenty of chances to comply. Sure he could have let her sign the cite once out of the car but he didn't have to. She dared him to tase her? WOW!!! I think I read somewhere that he is a taser instructor, too. So he should know full well the properties and effects of the taser. Deputy showed incredible restraint but was given no choice. I am glad to see that the Sgt is standing behind him.

Though, the bleeding heart liberals are going to say "AAAAHHHH! He tased a 72 year old woman, he could have killed her! AAAAHHHH" If she would have complied, or just signed the cite in the beginning, then she wouldn't be in this predicament, would she?

It's not only the bleeding heart liberals...Fox morning news also jumped to the conclusion the little old lady didn't need to be tazed. I should have sent them an email.

**TXCharlie** · 06-10-09, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by IndianaFuzz

This story about geriatric tasings makes me wonder..............has TXCharlie been tased yet?

No sir, wouldn't be prudent.

Our department doesn't require it, and I'm no self-masochist. I already know it hurts. Some things like that I can take on faith - Screw the court implications.

Besides, they only have three tasers and 12 officers, and I'm at the end of the line - I got my certification though, so I'm sure it'll be any day now

**Second Chance** · 06-10-09, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by TXCharlie

No sir, wouldn't be prudent.

Our department doesn't require it, and I'm no self-masochist. I already know it hurts. Some things like that I can take on faith - Screw the court implications.

Besides, they only have three tasers and 12 officers, and I'm at the end of the line - I got my certification though, so I'm sure it'll be any day now

Charlie you have your taser cert without being tased??, I was under the impression you needed to take that ride in order to have the cert and carry it.

**TXCharlie** · 06-10-09, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Second Chance

Charlie you have your taser cert without being tased??, I was under the impression you needed to take that ride in order to have the cert and carry it.

Nope, that's strictly up to Department policy in Texas, thank goodness.

I'm not holding my breath until I finally get one, though. First they need to find money to replace our cars before they fall apart.

**Sgt. Slaughter** · 06-10-09, 09:27 AM

Nope. I went through Taser cert within the past year and they didn't tase us. Said it was no longer a requirement. They rambled on for a minute or two about the reasons why, but all I heard was blah, blah, blah. I wanted to take the ride!

Now I have to wait for an overzealous co-worked to miss a suspect while we're rolling around on the ground...

Or I can go to Scottsdale and take the Instructor course.

**mack** · 06-10-09, 02:58 PM

I took the ride and it sucked!!! Longest and worst 5 seconds of my life.

**TXCharlie** · 06-10-09, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by Sgt. Slaughter

Nope. I went through Taser cert within the past year and they didn't tase us. Said it was no longer a requirement. They rambled on for a minute or two about the reasons why, but all I heard was blah, blah, blah. I wanted to take the ride!

Now I have to wait for an overzealous co-worked to miss a suspect while we're rolling around on the ground...

Or I can go to Scottsdale and take the Instructor course.

I vote that O/R take up a collection to buy your co-workers a cartridge to tase you with, if you'll post the video...

How about it everyone? $5 each to see Sgt. Slaughter tased?

**keith720** · 06-10-09, 03:55 PM

Granny deserved it. She was playing the " helpless old woman" card on an interview I saw with her, and I don't doubt she'll get some ambulance chasin', bleedin' heart liberal amnesty international lawyer to get some money for her.

**countybear** · 06-10-09, 04:11 PM

ROFLPWNED!!!

**Five-0** · 06-10-09, 04:55 PM

Kudos to Sergeant Major Griffin for standing up for his troops.

**Morris** · 06-10-09, 05:08 PM

Funny thing is, the media seems to forget that we get injured and killed by folks that old and older. Don't think it's possible media hacks? May I direct you to the Holocast Museum this very day.

Granny deserved it.

**Five-0** · 06-10-09, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by Morris

Funny thing is, the media seems to forget that we get injured and killed by folks that old and older. Don't think it's possible media hacks? May I direct you to the Holocast Museum this very day.

Granny deserved it.

I was told this years ago, "Old people will not fight with you. They will just kill you."

**GASheepdog** · 06-10-09, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by Five-0

Kudos to Sergeant Major Griffin for standing up for his troops.

I was pleased to see that, too.

This was exactly what the taser is meant to do: enable an officer to subdue and arrest a resistant suspect with no lasting injury to the officer or suspect. Given the alternatives, the taser was the safest option for both of them, especially at the side of the road.

**CTR man** · 06-10-09, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by TXCharlie

Nope, that's strictly up to Department policy in Texas, thank goodness.

I'm not holding my breath until I finally get one, though. First they need to find money to replace our cars before they fall apart.

Originally Posted by TXCharlie

I vote that O/R take up a collection to buy your co-workers a cartridge to tase you with, if you'll post the video...

How about it everyone? $5 each to see Sgt. Slaughter tased?

Speaking of which, did you ever get OC sprayed, TXCharie? I seem to remember a thread on that subject and someone was going to take up a collection to see that you were sprayed.

**TXCharlie** · 06-10-09, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by CTR man

Speaking of which, did you ever get OC sprayed, TXCharie? I seem to remember a thread on that subject and someone was going to take up a collection to see that you were sprayed.

You betcha - And I spent two months recovering from it.

The video is on YouTube - You'll notice that my enthusiam wained considerably after the instructor made me go back and hit the pad some more - Shit, that stuff hurt, all I cared about at that point was the water hose!