Janice Wells, a 57-year old school teacher whose husband was out of town, called the Richland Police Department fearing a prowler was outside the house. Frightened and alone, she called her friend John Robinson too, and asked him to stay with her until the police arrived.
When officer Tim Murphy arrived at Wells' home, he questioned Robinson, asking how long he had know her, the status of their relationship, and where he lived. After answering Murphy's questions, believing everything was under control, Robinson left to go home. Boy, how wrong he was ...
Murphy started asking Wells about Robinson, wanting to know his name (why didn't he ask him?), but she refused to answer, telling him "you don't need to know that." So Murphy threatened to arrest her:
"I told her that she would need to give me the information that I needed or she would be arrested for obstruction. I explained that state law mandates that we investigate to determine if there has been any family violence."
Mrs. Wells had called for help in fear of a prowler, not over a domestic dispute. Maybe she should have given the cop Robinson's name, but I wasn't there, nor is it recorded on video, so I don't know. But I imagine she was frustrated by the interrogation, especially since she was the one who had called him for help in the first place. Besides, Murphy already questioned Robinson personally.
Wells grabbed her purse and started walking towards the side of her house when Murphy grabbed her in an attempt to handcuff her. When Wells instinctively pulled away, Murphy doused her with pepper spray, so doing what any smart person under attack should, Wells ran away!
Murphy caught up with her, but she broke free again, before finally tripping to the ground:
"I fell to the ground. I was balled up and I was begging him to leave me alone."
Enter officer Ryan Smith, responding to Murphy's call for backup (to arrest a 57 year-old woman who had called for help).
When Smith arrived at the scene, Murphy was leaning against his car, with Mrs. Wells "in a ball position facing the ground." Without saying a word, Smith got out of his car with taser in hand, then walked over to Wells and immediately started electro-shocking her as she screamed. You can witness the disturbing scene yourself by watching the video below.
After shocking her the first time, he yelled "Get in the car! Get in the car! Get in the car!," and threatened to shock her again. Wells pleaded "Don’t do it. Don’t do it. I ain’t gonna do nothing!," but the taser-happy cop refused to stop. Based on the sound in the video, Smith shot her at least 4 times with his taser.
Stewart County Sheriff Larry Jones, who had known Janice Wells for years, couldn't believe what he saw as he arrived at the scene just after Smith discharged his taser for the fourth time. After bonding Wells out of jail later that night (yes, they threw her in jail), and taking her to the hospital, Sheriff Jones watched the dash cam video himself.
"It was worse than what I thought it was. I was shocked. The public needs to know."
These types of incidents have become all too common in America. Outrageous acts of violence, by police officers no less, are intolerable in a civilized society. Janice Wells' only crime was calling the police for help. Police, who didn't bother searching for a prowler, but interrogated and violently attacked the victim instead.
All Force Is Reasonable Force
A 57-year old school-teacher calls the cops to report a prowler. The cops respond by tasing her--repeatedly ...
Some thoughts on why this sort of thing is tolerated. I read the report and was very frustrated by Wells' response to the officer. She refused to give him the name of another man who was at the house, and then resisted when he tried to arrest her. As I've said before, I regard police officers as men with guns--capable of calling in more men with guns--empowered by the state to shoot you.
Surely I have called the police before, but there are a lot of situations in which I probably should call the cops, but I wouldn't. I'm often unwilling to introduce someone who thinks it's good idea to tase, or more commonly arrest, you for being rudeness into a dicey situation. People are hot-headed enough. The last thing you need is a hot-head with state-backing.
In fact the "men with guns" angle is exactly why this sort of dumb shit continues. Citizens are forced to take on the onus of de-escalation--because the people trained and theoretically paid to understand de-escalation refuse to. What is most important to them, as Officer Smith put it, is "control." It does not matter that Wells was in her own home. It does not matter that she was the one who called the cops ... He is the authority--not the woman who pays his salary.
We, as a society, have endorsed this approach. We have created, and tolerated, a world where police officers who tase school-teachers are allowed to continue to patrol the streets. It is not conspiratorial. It is who we are.
A true but sad commentary ... What does it say about our society, that we allow armed men in state costumes to get away with the violence they do? Certainly, it says nothing good.
CL, thanks for posting these. I really hadn't known how bad it was getting out there.
It's ridiculous how many of these stories are out there. If you add the dirty tricks played by government prosecutors, you could fill a daily newspaper.
It would seem that the police state has arrived.
It's scary, really.
If these were black police officers the liberal media would sweep it under the rug.Call a gang member see what happens when you don't corporate with them.
They did a great job of not showing the woman so I'm guessing here... but both officers are white- the VICTIM was black, wasn't she? Welcome to the NEW south... pretty much same as the old south, looks like to me.