Elderly woman mistakenly pepper-sprayed by police officers

MUSKOGEE, OK - An 84 year old woman was mistakenly pepper-sprayed by police officers last week in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

The incident occurred on August 9 as Muskogee police officers kicked the front door in of the home of Geneva Smith as they attempted to arrest her son.

Smith says that she was wrongfully attacked by police officers while they were searching for her son, 56-year-old Arthur Paul Blackmon, over a traffic violation. The woman's son had run a red light, refused to stop and then darted into his home to avoid being captured by police officers.

Officers had told the man to come out and he refused. They went into the home where they encountered his mother.

Police instructed Smith to turn around. They waited for her to complete their commands for 40 seconds but when she didn't, they pepper-sprayed her.

Smith was briefly hospitalized after suffering a panic attack in jail.

Police said they released the footage to be transparent about the situation and continue to foster and develop the relationship between law enforcement and the community. Officers involved are being interviewed, and the situation is being investigated before any decision is made on a resolution.