Respect Your Elders?

Most people are taught to respect their elders, but I guess officer Brandy Dolson had never learned that lesson. In 61 year old Minnie Carey's case, it seems that being curious is a crime worth a little jail time. When asked for their side of the story, Dolson and his partner, Jamie Nelson, claimed that Carey asked, "Why," in a loud and disrespectful manner. Even if Carey had been a little rude when voicing her opinion, that still is not enough to arrest someone. Are officers getting bored and running out of real criminals to harass and arrest? According to the article, Officer Brandy Dolson has had 18 complaints filed against him. In an interview with the Citizen Review Board, he refused to answer questions, making him seem more guilty than he already is. Carey also stated that she has heard of people getting arrested for no reason. She always thought that was a problem in Atlanta, but she never thought it would become her problem after she was arrested for just asking a question. Her question was never really answered by Dolson either. His response was, "because I said so." When was it against the law to stand and talk with some friends on a sidewalk? They were not bothering anyone and no real crime was being committed. I was a little shocked upon reading this article. One can really be arrested for doing absolutely nothing. I do not think anyone will be on Dolson's side of the argument. With this to add on to his other 18 complaints, I do not think he will get much public support. After reading this article, it made me think about a past story where an elderly woman was tased after getting out of her car angrily when an officer tried to give her a traffic ticket. Does the law not take age into consideration when dealing out punishments? Tasing and arrests are a little brutal for citizens who might have just got angry and used a few words to express themselves. False arrest should be more than just a slap on the wrist for the arresting officers.