Rock throwing lady with walking frame pepper sprayed by police

A lady with a walking frame was pepper sprayed by police after allegedly attacking her carer in Alice Springs, Australia on Sunday afternoon. A concerned citizen watched the indigenous woman, described as in her 50s or 60s fall to the ground in Gillen at about 2.30pm.

The witness believed the woman had been Tasered by police, but Alice Springs Watch Commander Siiri Tennosaar denied those claims. The witness said the woman was shaking and convulsing on the ground after “being Tasered”. “She was drooling out of her mouth - they could’ve killed her,” the witness said. “It was pretty brutal, really overkill.”

She was loaded into the back of the paddywagon until an ambulance arrived to transport her to Alice Springs Hospital (ASH). St John Ambulance Operation Manager Craig Garraway said he believes the woman had an altercation with a carer, and that she was carrying weapons. “I think she had knives - I’m not 100 per cent sure but police taking the action they took, she must have had weapons of some sort,” he said.
“She was throwing rocks, police tried to subdue her.” Mr Garraway did not believe her walking frame was the weapon in question. He said there was nothing wrong with her apart from a pre-existing medical condition, but she was transported to ASH for examination. Watch Commander Tennosaar refused to release a statement as it was a mental health matter.