In todays news...

[ZRX61]

Fox just had their taxi driver on.. "Nope, none of that happened while they were in my car"

[ZRX61]

Best comment I've seen so far:
"After a grueling two hour car chase, the paparazzi finally managed to lose Harry & Meghan"

[Screwdriver]

I just saw a TMZ clip where they're in a taxi. The taxi stops in the middle of the road and the security guy jumps out and starts trying to stop some paps from taking pictures. Then a couple of police cars turn up, lights and sirens etc. One assumes these are the police protection but no!

As the so called security (who just abandoned his three clients in an insecure taxi) wanders up and down the road, traffic backs up behind them including a couple of police cars. He casually gets back into the cab which drives off, the cops turn right and the taxi turns left.

So the hired security is the problem here. Same chap one assumes who decided to exit a hardened SUV with blacked out glass to get into an unsecured regular taxi which gets stuck in traffic, then holds up traffic as he abandons his charges.

Can't wait to see footage of the "near catastrophic chase" where pedestrians are almost run over, mounting pavements etc. because I'm going to take a flying guess here and suggest it's probably the same security detail who are jumping lights, driving erratically and almost running down pedestrians.

The clincher for me will be when we find out whose idea it was to abandon a dedicated security vehicle and get into a regular cab. If that was a decision from the security detail, they failed in their role. If it was a decision from H+M, then it's a publicity stunt. Either way it's a PR disaster other than Meghan gets her wish and is all over the news.

In the world of celebrity, no news is bad news but the media will get sick of this pair of muppets sooner rather than later and when they do, I wonder if Meghan will jump ship and dump her "has been", once a Prince after she's used up his former glory...

[Bike Breaker]

I'm waiting for the driver of their car (not the taxi) to be prosecuted for exceeding the speed limit, dangerous driving, endangering life, anything else. Also, the passengers for aiding and abetting. There couldn't have been a dangerously fast car chase if they'd been travelling slowly.

[KungFooBob]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-65642974

It's a very serious matter, but for the police to come out with...

"She had a walking frame. But she had a knife," he said.

I wasn't there, but come on, she's 95 with a walking frame, your going to get a knife graze at best.

[Flux]

Rip
Andy Rourke (the smiths).

[Yambo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-65642974

It's a very serious matter, but for the police to come out with...

"She had a walking frame. But she had a knife," he said.

I wasn't there, but come on, she's 95 with a walking frame, your going to get a knife graze at best.

The old dear got tasered because the cop wanted to use his taser. It's been an itch he's wanted to scratch for a long time. I wouldn't want the old girl to die, but if she does the cop should be charged with murder.

[Potter]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-65642974

It's a very serious matter, but for the police to come out with...

"She had a walking frame. But she had a knife," he said.

I wasn't there, but come on, she's 95 with a walking frame, your going to get a knife graze at best.

The old dear got tasered because the cop wanted to use his taser. It's been an itch he's wanted to scratch for a long time. I wouldn't want the old girl to die, but if she does the cop should be charged with murder.

And on the other hand....fuck her, you want to go waving a knife around in my face then I'll shoot you, why should I chance even a paper cut when I'm just trying to do my job. Rest assured that if you go waving a shank around with bad intentions towards me then I'll shoot you in the face rather than risk injury.

If everyone that picked a knife up with bad intentions got shot in the face, then the world would be a better place.

[Noggin]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-65642974

It's a very serious matter, but for the police to come out with...

"She had a walking frame. But she had a knife," he said.

I wasn't there, but come on, she's 95 with a walking frame, your going to get a knife graze at best.

The old dear got tasered because the cop wanted to use his taser. It's been an itch he's wanted to scratch for a long time. I wouldn't want the old girl to die, but if she does the cop should be charged with murder.

And on the other hand....fuck her, you want to go waving a knife around in my face then I'll shoot you, why should I chance even a paper cut when I'm just trying to do my job. Rest assured that if you go waving a shank around with bad intentions towards me then I'll shoot you in the face rather than risk injury.

If everyone that picked a knife up with bad intentions got shot in the face, then the world would be a better place.

TBF tho - she's 95 and uses a walking frame. You're telling me that a fit copper couldn't disarm her without injury?? If she was pretty mobile then I wouldn't particulary disagree with you (still wouldn't necessarily agree mind!!). But for police to have no other response to a mobility impaired 95 year old is a bit shit really


And no, I've not got forces or police background, just a long time dealing with fuckwit drunks on doors in Bristol and other like-type places and from running pubs. Totally different experience, but if a mere girl, with no back up or taser, can talk down a pair of drunk or high eejits from punching each others lights out (no idea if they had knifes, but they were both over 6ft3 and I'm not!) and starting a riot, I fail to see how a couple of coppers couldn't disarm a 95 year old woman how needs a walking frame to get about???

[Mr. Dazzle]

It's hard to know what to think without knowing the circumstances right? If you were cornered with nowhere to (slowly!) run away to then you've basically gotta fight the old dear? Maybe he thought tazing her was better than giving her a slap.

I do get where Iccy is coming from though. Just 'cause you're 95 that doesn't mean you can pull a (however unlikely!) lethal weapon on someone and expect no comeback.

[KungFooBob]

I do wonder how sharp even a steak knife would be in a care home. Having been in a few they don't generally let the inmates have anything sharp enough to do any damage, but yeah it's hearsay, without being there.

[Potter]

He might have been able to disarm her like a ninja, do three backspins and then stand in line for a medal - but why should he?

The old bat might have been a demon with a blade, if the care home staff clearly couldn't manage her then maybe she was a bit more mobile than you'd really like.

Basically, if you fancy taking on a gamble of being stabbed then feel free to practice your Kung-Foo skills all you like, but personally if faced with some dickhead with a lethal weapon then I'll take the best option for my own safety if I'm not sure of the outcome.

These people don't get paid enough to take risks, this liberal shite needs to take a back step, criminals with lethal weapons need to be dropped and people need to stop fucking about, if the criminal decides he was disarmed a bit too vigorously then tough tits.

[Potter]

And for all you know she might have spent 50yrs in the Oz special forces, trained to stab people.

It's like when these armchair experts say they couldn't shoot a 12yr old - good luck with that then when you face a child soldier in Africa shooting at you with an AK47. You'll be just as dead as if it was a 25yr old 6ft 3" nutter.

[Horse]

Totally different experience, but if a mere girl, with no back up or taser, can talk down a pair of drunk or high eejits from punching each others lights out (no idea if they had knifes, but they were both over 6ft3 and I'm not!) and starting a riot, I fail to see how a couple of coppers couldn't disarm a 95 year old woman how needs a walking frame to get about???

It seems they tried:
Two officers and care home staff tried to de-escalate the situation, before she began approaching police

But it does seem odd that they couldn't do something like kick the frame away.

[Potter]

Totally different experience, but if a mere girl, with no back up or taser, can talk down a pair of drunk or high eejits from punching each others lights out (no idea if they had knifes, but they were both over 6ft3 and I'm not!) and starting a riot, I fail to see how a couple of coppers couldn't disarm a 95 year old woman how needs a walking frame to get about???

It seems they tried:
Two officers and care home staff tried to de-escalate the situation, before she began approaching police

But it does seem odd that they couldn't do something like kick the frame away.

If you're close enough to kick the frame away then you're close enough to lose an eye when she plunges the steak knife into it.

Like I said, armchair experts that have never had to tackle someone that is intent on really doing you some harm with a lethal weapon. Some assailants will be worse than others but a toddler with a blade will cut you badly if you're not fast.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Maybe they thought tazing her wasn't as serious as booting her frame out from underneath her.

[Horse]

But it does seem odd that they couldn't do something like kick the frame away.

If you're close enough to kick the frame away then you're close enough to lose an eye when she plunges the steak knife into it.

Like I said, armchair experts that have never had to tackle someone that is intent on really doing you some harm with a lethal weapon.

Quite happy to admit that I'm sat comfortably (in an office chair) and have never had to deal with this sort of situation.

But I don’t think that using the phrase 'it seems odd' really puts me in the situation of being a pontificating walt.

Anyway, perhaps I should have included the following bit too:

Two officers and care home staff tried to de-escalate the situation, before she began approaching police - "it is fair to say at a slow pace"

[Bigjawa]

Could they not just have closed the door of the room she was in and waited it out?

Soapy tenner says she'd have keeled over inside an hour.

Either way, Taser Cop is fucked. Career ender right there.

[Potter]

Quite happy to admit that I'm sat comfortably (in an office chair) and have never had to deal with this sort of situation.

But I don’t think that using the phrase 'it seems odd' really puts me in the situation of being a pontificating walt.

I didn't mean you specifically, I just meant in general.

I only know what I read on the BBC, it might be that the copper was a crackpot as well, but it might just be that she was a tough old bird and well capable of causing harm - and right now it's open season on any police that dare oppose the unwashed.

I'm amazed that police anywhere get involved these days, it's safer all round to watch the violence from a distance and then mop up afterwards, I don't know if I'd put my neck on the line just to see my pension float down the river.

[Mussels]

Totally different experience, but if a mere girl, with no back up or taser, can talk down a pair of drunk or high eejits from punching each others lights out (no idea if they had knifes, but they were both over 6ft3 and I'm not!) and starting a riot, I fail to see how a couple of coppers couldn't disarm a 95 year old woman how needs a walking frame to get about???

It seems they tried:
Two officers and care home staff tried to de-escalate the situation, before she began approaching police

But it does seem odd that they couldn't do something like kick the frame away.

Kicking the frame away could have killed her and then the cops would be in more trouble, I can't think of a way to forcibly disarm a 95 year old without causing injury so their best bet was probably to follow standard procedures to the letter.