Thanks, guys! I'll pass this one along. we need all the help we can get!
At first blush, I can certainly see why the officer would be concerned. A baby in the hands of an apparently unstable person is not a safe situation. When the woman tried to leave, abandoning the baby, there was certainly reason to detain her, and the officer is authorized to use reasonable force to detain her.
This seems to be a tough call to me. the woman appeared to be a danger to herself and others, but there is no easy way to detain a resisting woman without some use of force, and any use of force implies some risk.
With the presence of the infant, use of pepper spray would be ruled out. Takedowns or joint locks are frowned upon with mentally unstable individuals, and a baton probably has more risk of injury than does the taser. (I'm assuming, of course, the officer did not know the woman was pregnant, which seems reasonable.)
I suppose the biggest fault I can find is in not calling for paramedics immediately. Here in Tulsa, that is standard procedure anytime force is used. it seems to me a trip to the hospital emergency room--where a doctor can determine if she needs psychiatric help--would be called for in this case, before a trip to the jail.
But this is all speculation on my part. In any event, this is joining a long list.
