Step Away From the Shoes, Ma’am: Police Officer Tasers Woman for Trying to Put on Her Shoes

In our expanding list of “things you can do to get tasered by police,” we have another outstanding entry to add to getting out of a bath naked and calling for help. Catherine Isebelle Morris, 34, was tasered by Gaston County Police Officer G.S. Kendall because she insisted on getting her shoes in the house when questioned outside about a domestic disturbance. She is lucky. Under this operational standard, Imelda Marcos would have been lit up like the Chrysler building.

Kendall was speaking with family after the call when the garage door opened and Moore came out. Here is how his affidavit describes events:

“I asked her to step to the side and talk with me. We began to talk and the defendant asked to get her shoes. She became very aggressive about wanting her shoes and then turned and walked back towards the house. I told her several times to stop and hold off on the shoes, as I tried to figure out what was going on. She refused and went for the door. I told her to stop and I went to grab her. She turned around and charged at me. I then tased her three times in order for Officer Thomson to handcuff her.”

She now faces a charge of assault on an officer. A shoeless, unarmed woman “charged at him”? I can understand using force to hold her, but a taser? At least she was wearing clothes, albeit sans shoes, here.

I cannot find any further information on the case, but here is one site.