As @wundayatta says, I only know what I just read, so I’d say it was justified, especially if harm was indeed a potential threat to the people around her and to her kid. I think the cops did what they could, given the situation, especially if she was showing threatening behavior. I also agree that MacDick’s should be given some responsibility for letting her off the hook for so long. Then again, there aren’t really any laws for cutting in lines, are there? What can they possibly do? As far I know, they can’t refuse to serve her food if she has the cash. I’m assuming you can only see someone arrested if breaking in line leads in to actual offenses. (which I believe is what took place here)
But in this situation, she did defy the police, and they’re supposed to know what to do when this happens. I suppose I must assume they acted rightly. I really don’t like the idea of any kind of violence used on people, but the cops do have to be ready to stop HER from fucking shit up, if they perceive that she might.
While I certainly believe that there are better methods that could have been used, she seemed obnoxious and provocative, so I wonder if any alternatives would have worked. Like Wundy says, we don’t know how it all really went down, and if the cops did infuriate her even more. But on one other hand…she sounds like a real freakin’ bitch who wouldn’t be told. Maybe they could have just tried to restrain her physically. I know, prolly easier said than done as the article suggests, but don’t the police receive martial art courses of some kind or another in their training?
Ah fuck it…this is how you handle this type of business.