By the book

This latest video of taser abuse by law enforcement is striking. You really have to click over and watch it to get the full impact, but here's the gist.

It shows Constable Richard McCain screaming, “Get over here now!” Winkfein replies, “Give [the ticket] to me and I’ll sign it.” Instead, the officer reaches out and pushes her, and she starts complaining, “Oh, you’re going to shove me? You’re going to shove a seventy-two year old woman?”

McCain then tasers her. As Winkfein lies on the ground screaming, he orders, “Now put your hands behind your back. Put your hands behind your back or you’re going to be tasered again.”

To be clear, he shoots her after she's already on the ground. He didn't do it because she was a physical threat to him. He was just pissed because she was being mouthy. The cop insists he was doing it by the book. If that's true, they're in bad need of a rewrite.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]