I-394 shut down in Minnetonka after shots reported

[northerner1]

New update on StarTribune.com says she pulled a gun on the officer.

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/130435563.html

[Holland&Holland]

Kare 11 is reporting she was 58 and people are wondering.

What does her age have anything to do with it?

I don't know, that is what is being reported and that is all. My point is, if you had chosen to respond to my complete post, is that it is time for a statement. It appears that the strib may be coming out with more.

[farmerj]

From the link about for the Strib:

Can't say it looks good for the lady,

After Zarrett tried to pull her over, Gordon stopped her white Honda Civic next to the interstate median near the Hopkins Crossroad overpass. The source said that she immediately got out of her car and raised a small handgun in the direction of the officer, who was behind her car. Zarrett fired at her after seeing the gun, the source said.

But if this is true, can't say the cop doesn't have a history of excessive force...

The officer was the subject of a lawsuit stemming from a 2005 incident in which he fired a stun gun at a woman as she sat in the passenger seat of a vehicle. The woman later sued the Golden Valley Police Department and the case was settled for $250,000. Zarrett testified that he used the Taser for two to three seconds after the woman refused to hang up her phone during a traffic stop.

[jgalt]

The officer (Zarrett) was the subject of a lawsuit stemming from a 2005 incident in which he fired a stun gun at a woman as she sat in the passenger seat of a vehicle. The woman later sued the Golden Valley Police Department and the case was settled for $250,000. Zarrett testified that he used the Taser for two to three seconds after the woman refused to hang up her phone during a traffic stop.

WTF?!?! How in the hell is it possible for this jbt to still be employed after admitting to this behavior?

[Paul]

WTF?!?! How in the hell is it possible for this jbt to still be employed after admitting to this behavior?

One Word: Union

[Rotary12]

My wife was saying yesterday that the scuttlebutt in the clinic where she works was this shooting is very suspicious.

[Paul]

The clinic? How are the two connected?

[ijosef]

Kare 11 is reporting she was 58 and people are wondering.

What does her age have anything to do with it?

Age is the largest deterrent to crime - people are far less likely to commit crimes the older they get. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen (it obviously does), but it would be much more likely for a younger person to be involved in such an incident than a woman pushing 60.

The latest article does say she had a history of mental illness and was released from a psychiatric hospital not long before this occurred.

As others have said, I doubt we'll ever know what really happened. I wonder what the story would be like if someone was filming the whole thing with their cell phone or video camera.

[tman]

The latest article does say she had a history of mental illness and was released from a psychiatric hospital not long before this occurred.

There was an attorney that moved to MN from CA many years ago. He was semi retired and doing part time work representing indigent mentally ill defendants in commitment hearings. He didn't like MN's commitment laws because the threshold of danger to self or others seemed so low to him, after being in CA.

What I took from this is that it is near impossible to commit someone as mentally ill in CA. So, if this woman was committed there previously, she was likely **** nuts.

[Paul]

Kare 11 is reporting she was 58 and people are wondering.

What does her age have anything to do with it?

Age is the largest deterrent to crime - people are far less likely to commit crimes the older they get. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen (it obviously does), but it would be much more likely for a younger person to be involved in such an incident than a woman pushing 60.

The latest article does say she had a history of mental illness and was released from a psychiatric hospital not long before this occurred.

As others have said, I doubt we'll ever know what really happened. I wonder what the story would be like if someone was filming the whole thing with their cell phone or video camera.

Age doesn't deter crime. Being old isn't a risk or penalty. Older people may be less likely to continue committing crimes, for a number of reasons, life experience, maturity, financial stability, but not because they are old.

My only reason for asking was to make sure that nobody was suggesting that this woman was incapable of a threatening act because she was in her 50's or that the officer shouldn't have used deadly force, if justified, because of her age.

The age of an adult shouldn't factor into the decision to use deadly force when they are wielding a firearm.

[Rotary12]

The clinic? How are the two connected?

They aren't, its just a reference to the people she works with,(typically anti-gun types).

[ijosef]

Age doesn't deter crime. Being old isn't a risk or penalty. Older people may be less likely to continue committing crimes, for a number of reasons, life experience, maturity, financial stability, but not because they are old.

My only reason for asking was to make sure that nobody was suggesting that this woman was incapable of a threatening act because she was in her 50's or that the officer shouldn't have used deadly force, if justified, because of her age.

The age of an adult shouldn't factor into the decision to use deadly force when they are wielding a firearm.

I agree that age shouldn't be a factor at all when it comes to using deadly force (the person pointing a gun at you could be 150 years old for all it mattered), and that it shouldn't be an issue in this case - only the womans' actions should be considered. However, anyone who has studied criminology can tell you that age is a deterrent to crime. All other factors being equal, you are less likely to commit a crime at age 60 than you are at age 20 (according to statistical analysis). Honestly, I don't think the woman's age is a factor in this case. I'm just guessing that people might have been bringing it up at first for the aforementioned reasons.

[Paul]

Yes... Older people are statistically less likely to CONTINUE committing crimes. But women are less likely than men to commit violent crimes. Is being female a crime deterrent? What if Asian races were less likely to commit crimes than Hispanic races. Does that mean with all other factors being equal that being Asian is a deterrent of crime?

A deterrent is the penalty of the act, risk of being caught, jail sentence, death sentence, security cameras, presence of police/security and whatever else. Something that a third party can do that would influence your decision. Not simply getting old. You can't control that as a crime fighting tool.

[rtk]

Yes... Older people are statistically less likely to CONTINUE committing crimes. But women are less likely than men to commit violent crimes. Is being female a crime deterrent? What if Asian races were less likely to commit crimes than Hispanic races. Does that mean with all other factors being equal that being Asian is a deterrent of crime?

A deterrent is the penalty of the act, risk of being caught, jail sentence, death sentence, security cameras, presence of police/security and whatever else. Something that a third party can do that would influence your decision. Not simply getting old. You can't control that as a crime fighting tool.

[goalie]

Mental health history. Committed in Cali (T-man, you are correct that it is easier here to get someone involuntarily committed).

People talking about the statistics of crime and age should start looking up the statistics of suicide and age, because, from the little I can gather, it sure sounds like suicide to me.