[mriff]

Was he right or wrong?

Report: Utah trooper strikes woman in head after traffic stop - CNN.com

[jsconyers]

IMO, wrong.

Watching the video, I don't see any reason for him to blatantly punch her like that. I understand they have to look out for their own safety and the safety of others, but I believe there is probably a better protocol than punching a pretty much defenseless woman. Maybe pepper spray or a taser? He would have probably gotten reprimanded for that anyway, but it would be better than punching, IMO.

That, and I was always raised to never hit a woman.

[sharpycl]

Then another officer uses a stun gun? Why didn't they just open the door and pull her from the car if they were able to throw punches at her?

Sounds a little much considering she's what? 53 and intoxicated? Three officers can't pull a 53 yr intoxicated old woman out of a car? They have to punch and taze her first?

[TBOLTRAM]

I will wait and see what other information comes out before coming to any sort of conclusion. The same idiot pool provides individuals for both the criminal and police sections of society.

Sometimes it is difficult to seperate the two.

[kathrynhr]

Wrong, for reasons that jsconyers already covered.

[jsconyers]

Not that this has anything to do with the OP, but this is truly sad to see:

xxx039;War on Copsxxx039; Feared After 11 Officers Shot in 24 Hours - War On Cops - Fox Nation

One officer is in critical condition after being shot multiple times during a traffic stop. But still, it doesn't make what the officer in the original story did right IMO.

[JSanders]

No, he shouldn't have hit her, for the same reasons stated earlier.

For any non-compliant subject, in control of and using a deadly weapon (she was ramming her car against the officer's car and continuing to rev her engine against it) he probably should have used the billy club or blackjack. Male or female, they both can go crazy and do idiot things such as she was at this moment, and the officer has no idea what she would do next. Bringing the situation under control did keep it from escalating to something further.