The General Public
The whole neighborhood knew something has happened in their area. They got to know that an 87-year-old woman has been arrested. But why did the police arrest her? And who was the woman? Somebody told them it was Martha. And the reason for her arrest was something nobody believed in. Somehow she was behind bars waiting for her trial.
Chief Of The Police Again
“And I know everyone is going to say, ‘An 87-year-old woman? How big a threat can she be?’ She still had a knife. An 87-year-old woman with a knife still has the ability to hurt an officer,” Etheridge continued.
Martha’s Family
Obviously, Martha’s family wasn’t happy about the incident. They way police handled the situation was very wrong from their point of view. She was 87 years old. And the taser sends a current of about 50,000 volts and a few milliamps in the person’s body which could be a hell for old people. And Martha actually got tased.
Family Responded
After the incident, Martha’s family couldn’t believe the word police told them. They were told that she had a knife in her hand and she was moving towards the police with a knife in her hand. Even so, there was no need for tasering an old lady. She meant no harm. If the police would have shown a little patience the situation wouldn’t have escalated to this extent.
The Attorney’s Statement
The attorney who was assigned to present Martha’s side and who was trying to get her charges to drop said, “[They] clearly stated she was not a threat to anybody and told them she was gathering vegetation. Clearly, there was no threat,” said Jeff Dean.
Back To Normal?
Though she recovered from the incident, the episode never really left her alone. The incident left a mark in her life that was really hard to wipe off even if the person tries it really hard. The family supported her in any way they could. They stayed with her 24/7. Though most of the time Martha spent her time sleeping, whenever she opened her eyes there was someone from the family to hold her.