Where we put our situation into a global context. This time: our boys in blue v trigger-happy Seattle cops
For all the people who feel the need for speed in Ireland, the worst they will be done for is a fine and a few penalty points to add to their collection.
However it’s not like that everywhere, as a Seattle woman found out when she was tazered for refusing to get out of her car to sign a speeding ticket. Malaika Brooks was tasered three times, each shot delivering 50,000 volts and leaving burn marks on her thigh, arm and leg.
The arresting officer felt that he was using reasonable force despite the fact that she was sitting in her car, was unarmed… and seven months pregnant.
Yes, that’s right, it seems in the States even an unarmed pregnant woman can be considered a real threat to society. What’s worse an enquiry into the incident in March cleared the officer of any wrongdoing who defended his actions, saying that she was resisting arrest and could have driven off erratically had he not immobilised her.
New guidelines on dealing with the old, the very young and pregnant women have since been brought into effect in the state, which is probably little consolation to Ms Brooks who was convicted of refusing to comply with a police officer’s request.
Still at least that sort of thing could never happen here, could it? Or should we start to worry about our pepper spray equipped traffic corps?
For the moment at least, whenever you look at those points on your licence, remember that it could be worse.
