Texas police cuff and jail 97-year-old for traffic offence

Texas police claim they had no choice but to go by the book when they handcuffed a 97-year-old woman and took her to jail for failing to pay a traffic ticket.

Harriette Kelton was arrested last week after officers stopped her for having an expired registration and inspection sticker and realised there was a warrant for her arrest for failing to pay a traffic ticket.

Mrs Kelton, a former schoolteacher who has lived in the Dallas suburb of Highland park for decades, was in police custody for about two hours before her lawyer arrived and she was released on her own recognisance.

“Our real beef with this is that no real judgment was displayed or actually carried out in this incident,” said Mrs Kelton’s son, Dr Phil Kelton, a plastic surgeon.

But police spokesman Detective Randy Millican said the officers had no choice but to arrest Dr Kelton’s mother.

“A warrant begins with the words ‘You are hereby commanded to arrest,”’ Millican said. “How do you decide who do you arrest and who you don’t? How about at age 90 but not at 91 and up? How about between 17 and 20?”

Dr Kelton said his mother lives alone, cooks her own meals, goes out to lunch regularly and is involved in the community. She has good eyesight, he said.

“All of our enthusiasm should be tempered with judgment, and therein lies my problem with this, and basically Mother’s problem with it, too,” he said.

Her other son, District Judge David Kelton, said it would be inappropriate for him to discuss the arrest.