South Carolina Cop Tasers 86-year-old Man to Keep him Safe

A South Carolina cop pulled an 86-year-old man over for running a red light this week, but the man suffered from dementia and stepped out of the car and looked as if he was about step into oncoming traffic.

Kingstree police officer Stephen Sweikata said he decided to save his life by tasering him.

The taser struck Albert Hatfield, causing him to fall on the asphalt, striking his head and breaking his nose.

And now he is in a medical induced coma.

And when he awoke after several days in the hospital, he was unable to speak properly, according to the [__Post and Courier.__  ](https://www.postandcourier.com/news/family–year-old-in-intensive-care-after-kingstree-police/article_2dd702da-b598-11e7-a0e6-536cb82f47ab.html)

Even though the cop claims he tasered the man for his safety, Kingstree police said Hatfield said he took a “fighting stance,” which is the routine allegation when police try to justify an unsuitable incident.

Odds are, the police report will also say he “clenched his body” while acting “belligerent” because these are the common phrases police use to justify the unsuitable.

After all, the initial excuse where Hatfield was tasered while trying to walk into traffic was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in South Carolina.

According to the Post and Courier:

> University of South Carolina law professor Seth Stoughton, a former officer, said Kingstree’s explanation of the encounter draws a conclusion about why force was used without giving necessary details to support it. Stoughton called the case “problematic.”
>
> “The court has been very clear that officers can use Tasers to defend themselves or defend someone else who is being attacked,” he said. “I have yet to see an officer who would legitimately fear your average unarmed 86-year-old.”
>
> Scrutiny of police use of force, particularly against black people, has spread nationwide in recent years. Much attention has focused on shootings, including the 2015 killing of Walter Scott by a North Charleston officer.
>
> Taser use also has garnered criticism. The federal appeals court that oversees South Carolina ruled last year that officers couldn’t use Tasers on people just because they are a threat to themselves, a decision that forced agencies in the region to rewrite policies.

So that is why they are now saying the deputy feared for his safety rather than the safety of the elderly man, who probably could have been escorted away from the traffic without the use of a taser.

A South Carolina cop pulled an 86-year-old man over for running a red light this week, but the man suffered from dementia and stepped out of the car and looked as if he was about step into oncoming traffic.

Kingstree police officer Stephen Sweikata said he decided to save his life by tasering him.

The taser struck Albert Hatfield, causing him to fall on the asphalt, striking his head and breaking his nose.

And now he is in a medical induced coma.

And when he awoke after several days in the hospital, he was unable to speak properly, according to the [__Post and Courier.__  ](https://www.postandcourier.com/news/family–year-old-in-intensive-care-after-kingstree-police/article_2dd702da-b598-11e7-a0e6-536cb82f47ab.html)

Even though the cop claims he tasered the man for his safety, Kingstree police said Hatfield said he took a “fighting stance,” which is the routine allegation when police try to justify an unsuitable incident.

Odds are, the police report will also say he “clenched his body” while acting “belligerent” because these are the common phrases police use to justify the unsuitable.

After all, the initial excuse where Hatfield was tasered while trying to walk into traffic was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in South Carolina.

According to the Post and Courier:

> University of South Carolina law professor Seth Stoughton, a former officer, said Kingstree’s explanation of the encounter draws a conclusion about why force was used without giving necessary details to support it. Stoughton called the case “problematic.”
>
> “The court has been very clear that officers can use Tasers to defend themselves or defend someone else who is being attacked,” he said. “I have yet to see an officer who would legitimately fear your average unarmed 86-year-old.”
>
> Scrutiny of police use of force, particularly against black people, has spread nationwide in recent years. Much attention has focused on shootings, including the 2015 killing of Walter Scott by a North Charleston officer.
>
> Taser use also has garnered criticism. The federal appeals court that oversees South Carolina ruled last year that officers couldn’t use Tasers on people just because they are a threat to themselves, a decision that forced agencies in the region to rewrite policies.

So that is why they are now saying the deputy feared for his safety rather than the safety of the elderly man, who probably could have been escorted away from the traffic without the use of a taser.

Support our Mission

Help us build a database of bad cops

For almost 15 years, PINAC News has remained active despite continuous efforts by the government and Big Tech to shut us down by either arresting us for lawful activity or by restricting access to our readers under the pretense that we write about “social issues.”

Since we are forbidden from discussing social issues on social media, we have created forums on our site to allow us to fulfill our mission with as little restriction as possible. We welcome our readers to join our forums and support our mission by either donating, volunteering or both.

Our plan is to build a national database of bad cops obtained from public records maintained by local prosecutors. The goal is to teach our readers how to obtain these lists to ensure we cover every city, county and state in the country.

After all, the government has made it clear it will not police the police so the role falls upon us.

It will be our most ambitious project yet but it can only be done with your help.

But if we succeed, we will be able to keep innocent people out of prison.

Please make a donation below or click on side tab to learn more about our mission.

Subscribe to PINAC

Bypass Big Tech censorship.

Carlos Miller
Carlos Millerhttps://pinacnews.com
Editor-in-Chief Carlos Miller spent a decade covering the cop beat for various newspapers in the Southwest before returning to his hometown Miami and launching Photography is Not a Crime aka PINAC News in 2007. He also published a book, The Citizen Journalist's Photography Handbook, which is available on Amazon.

Leave a Reply

- Advertisement -

Latest articles