Editor, On the evening of Aug. 1, my son Brandon and his wife were arguing about who should have use of his car.  Arriving to the Wal-Mart parking lot, my husband and I found them sitting in the car (son in the driver’s seat and his wife was in the passenger seat). After about five minutes, about four police officers arrived on the scene.
The officers started to question my son and his wife. I then proceeded to exit my vehicle and went around the front of the truck. I asked if I could talk to one of the officers. Officer Parker asked me to identify myself. I stated that I was the mother of Brandon, the husband. He then proceeded to ask me the age of my son. I replied that he is 23 years old.
Officer Jonathan Parker replied in a discourteous manner that he is old enough to handle his own business and directed me to get back. I complied with his order to step back and proceeded to the passenger side of my truck, and stated that I was going to record the event with my camera phone. Office Parker then walked over to me while stating his position and full name, also that I could record him if I wanted, but I had to get in the truck. I got back in my truck.
Another officer arrived on the scene. I got out of the truck and was asking to speak to him. Officer Parker walked over to me again and stated if I did not get back in the truck that he “was going to arrest me for disorderly conduct.” I stated “I am not doing anything, isn’t that the same thing that the guy up in Connecticut was arrested for?”
He turned around and walked away. My husband stated that Corporal Menges, who had just arrived on the scene, asked Officer Parker “didn’t you tell her to get  back in the truck?” Officer Parker replied yes.  Then Officer Menges directed Officer Parker to arrest me. Officer Parker came toward me and stated that he was going to arrest me for disorderly conduct. I asked “why because I didn’t do anything wrong.” He never replied. I was grabbed from behind.
Another officer, Darel Shatzer, twisted my arm in an upright position and slammed me to the ground as I hit my face. He placed his knee in my back while handcuffing me and was continuously yelling at me to stop resisting and twisting my hand. I replied several times that I was not resisting.
While Officer Shatzer returned to his feet, I was still laying on the ground. My son, a correctional officer, yelled “I hope that you doubled locked those cuffs” and informed the officers that I have heart problems. Then Officer Shatzer placed his knee again on my lower back and double locked the handcuffs. I remained on the ground for a couple of minutes.
Two officers abruptly picked me up. Although a female officer was called to the scene Officer Shatzer chose not to wait and took me over to the hood of his police car and frisked me. He found my cell phone holder and violently attempted to remove it from the right side of my skirt at my waist.
My husband yelled that he could remove the cell phone case repeatedly to no avail.  Officer Shatzer attempted to force me in the back seat of the police car. I was unable to get in because the seat was too far back for my legs to fit. I told the arresting officer that I was having a difficult time getting into the car. He ordered me into the police car twice.  I continued to reply, “I can’t.”
Someone violently pulled me from behind on the other side into the back seat, which forced me to sit sideways. Then I asked several times if he could loosen the cuffs because my left arm and chest were hurting.  Eventually someone loosened the cuffs and the discomfort started to subside.
I called my husband over and asked him about a cut over my left brow. EMS arrived and started asking me questions about the status of the discomfort. I told the EMT that the discomfort was dissipating. EMS asked me if I still wanted to go to the hospital and I asked if I should.
Corporal Menges declared that he didn’t care if I went to the hospital or not, because I was still going to jail.  He continued to say “first it was her heart and now she is worried about her face.” After the EMT completed the paperwork, she asked Officer Shatzer if he could remove the cuffs, so that I could sign. He replied no because I was fighting them. I said “that was not a true statement” and he then slammed the car door.  
After arriving at the police station Officer Shatzer sat me at a table and removed the handcuffs. As he was writing the ticket, he called someone to request a case a number and informed the person that he was charging me with “disorderly conduct.” A few moments later, someone came over his radio and directed him to change the charge from “disorderly conduct” to “obstructing an officer.”
After being processed, they gave me fashion tips about what to wear to court. After being released to my husband, as I was walking out of the police station, Corporal Menges stated “there’s no hard feelings right?”
The sad thing about this incident is that the police department is here to serve and protect the citizen. My husband is now over in Iraq helping serve and protect our country from brutal attacks. If my husband, a sergeant first class in the Army, was to commit the same violation, he would be jailed. Five police cars were on the scene. Three were on me, and not one dash camera was working. In my opinion they do not want the brutal incident to be viewed by anyone.