Former 81 Year Old CAP SQ Commander Gets Tasered By Base Security Police

[Flying Pig]

I don't like when they try to make associations that have nothing to do with the incident at hand.  "A Former Squadron Commander in the Civil Air Patrol..."  It's like saying, "A former volunteer with a soup kitchen."

In this case, it appears as though they were trying to make some sort of association between him and the base that doesn't even exist...

Mentioning CAP in this article was a ridiculous on the part of the reporter.  Trying to sensationalize the issue by attaching the word  "commander" to him somehow.  In addition, age means nothing.  Ive been shot at by a 91yr old man and an 85 yr old man in 2 different incident, had a knife pulled on my by a guy in his 80s and nearly had my butt handed to me in a fist fight at a domestic violence call because I didnt think an 80 yr old, 130lb man posed much of a threat. What I didnt know was that he had been a career boxer in his day and still taught boxing for the youth Police Activities League.  People think because someone has aged that they no longer pose a threat.  I and I can guarantee EVERY cop knows it looks bad when you lay out a senior citizen.

I refer you to my earlier post.  This doest include the number of elderly violent Alzheimers patients I have had full on wrestling matches with in nursing homes while the staff looked on not raising a finger to help me.  They called the police because they were concerned about liability.  Then, when the po-po shows up, then complain that I didnt use my psychic abilities and mind control techniques to get the dude strapped to the gurny for transport the a higher level facility.  So I understand fully while a cop may not have been able to subdue an 81 yr old man.  Nothing in my job description says I need to walk away injured, nor do I get paid to get hurt.

[N Harmon]

I don't understand. Is Richardson Highway part of Eielson AFB? Why are the base's security police doing traffic patrol off base?

[JayT]

I just do not understand how an Airman could not physically get an 81 year old man under control without using the gun.

Also, was this on an Air Force Base??   

What physical condition is the 81 year old in?

You'd be surprised that it really doesn't matter. As Captain/ Officer Steht said, sometimes the elderly dementia patients can give you the worst fights. I've almost at finger's broken, gotten scratched bruised and verbally assaulted by little old ladies who we were taking out as mental aided cases.


"Nurse, give me a hand here and hold her arm down while I restrain it!"
"That aint my job, you're the paramedic. This isn't my floor and my shift just started a minute ago."
"You're namebadge says this is your floor and who the Hell starts work at two thirty seven??!?!"

[jimmydeanno]

At NSC we had the school's oldest member (81 years old) pull the sliding door right off one of the CAP minivans.

Old doesn't mean infirm.

[chiles]

Neither does sick, for that matter. I've had plenty an elderly ER patient take a swing at me in a confused state. I've also been on a team for take downs in the ER and those elderly patients become super humans. I've had more than a few bumps and bruises and have learned never, ever underestimate what a properly motivated individual can do.

[Major Lord]

Neither does sick, for that matter. I've had plenty an elderly ER patient take a swing at me in a confused state. I've also been on a team for take downs in the ER and those elderly patients become super humans. I've had more than a few bumps and bruises and have learned never, ever underestimate what a properly motivated individual can do.

Oh yes, and I had one 10 year old man/monster crush a psych-tech's testicle because he got too close when a group of about 8 medic/nuthouse techs tried to get the lad into restraints. Don't under-estimate anyones capacity for evil and mayhem or you might end up with a new nick name ( i.e. Leftie, Scarface, etc)

Major Lord

[flyerthom]

I just do not understand how an Airman could not physically get an 81 year old man under control without using the gun.

Also, was this on an Air Force Base??   

Let me say from experience that the meanest, roughest, toughest, most dangerous critter in the universe is a hypoxic 90 lbs 90 year old granny who wants out of that ICU bed NOW! It can make Lord Voldemort quake with fear!

[RiverAux]

AF Times left out the CAP connection: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/11/airforce_stun_gun_110809/

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I remember being in the ER at a hospital in Detroit about 10 years ago (an experience in itself) and there was an elderly gent there who was going through DT's.  I'd say he was in his 70's, but I don't remember, having just got nailed in a car wreck myself.

The police officers attending to him had him cuffed to the bed, and of course there were doctors looking after him.

He went through phases of saying silly, funny things to the officers, trying to get them to uncuff him, and then phases of spouting profanity and threatening anyone within sight.

I am glad the officers didn't uncuff him.  I have no doubt that, despite his age, he could have done some damage.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

AF Times left out the CAP connection: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/11/airforce_stun_gun_110809/

Good.

[GroundPounder73]

We just had two LE departments take their tazers out of service. What Tazer Intl is saying officially is that SOME studies have shown that the darts, when fired into certain center of mass locations or in the vacinity of an onboard defibrilator may cause "rhythm incompatible with life." So basically they got some yahoo that decided that if the current passed across the heart as it  does with a AED that it might send the recipient of the little gift to go into v-tach or v-fib. Not all that likely. Ive been tazed twice in EMS/disaster response training courses and it hurts like heck but i felt nothing in my chest. Of course there is a reason why CAP wouldnt let me wear USAF uni if I joined and I did get zapped in the ol' spare tire.

[GroundPounder73]

I just do not understand how an Airman could not physically get an 81 year old man under control without using the gun.

Also, was this on an Air Force Base??   

Let me say from experience that the meanest, roughest, toughest, most dangerous critter in the universe is a hypoxic 90 lbs 90 year old granny who wants out of that ICU bed NOW! It can make Lord Voldemort quake with fear!

AMEN. I had an 87 y/o woman with a basilar skull fracture clock me in the jaw and put me on the trauma bay floor. NEVER underestimate old, scared and in pain.