Bodycam footage acquired by ABC 15 shows the disgusting mistreatment of an innocent grandma at the hands of marshals.
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66-year-old Penny McCarthy was in her front yard when half a dozen U.S. marshals pointed guns at her and ordered her arrest. With excessive force, they threatened the grandmother to submit and refused her pleas to quickly prove her innocence.
The agents believed her to be wanted Oklahoma fugitive Carole Anne Rozak, 70, under a false identity. Authorities want Rozak for missing probation 25 years ago for non-violent crimes.
"I truly felt like I was being kidnapped," McCarthy told the outlet, "I am so disappointed in my government. It's not funny."
Marshals Violently Arrest Innocent Grandmother At Gunpoint
The exchange between the bewildered McCarthy and the police is not pleasant.
"We have an arrest warrant," a federal agent yells.
"For me?" Penny asks.
"Yes. For you," the officer confirms.
"Who am I?" asks Penny.
Without answering, they yell at Penny, "Turn away. Turn around. Turn away. We'll discuss it later. Turn away. You're gonna get hit."
She also asked them to prove they were police, to which they refused. They then threatened her with a taser should she turn around again.
Only once she submitted to being arrested did they finally confirm that they were U.S. Marshals. They ignored her request to quickly prove that she wasn't Rozak.
McCarthy was detained, but only stayed in custody for one night. Prosecutors provided next to no evidence to prove she was Rozak. All they had were some Facebook posts that a probation office in Oklahoma believed indicated she was Rozak.
Authorities have been very stubborn to provide accountability about this abuse of power and mistake. Marshals in Oklahoma later said that it was a fingerprinting "glitch" that matched McCarthy to Rozak. Apparently, they are conducting a "thorough review" of the incident.
This shocking display of power has left poor McCarthy traumatized. She's unwilling to leave the house without someone being nearby, she told the outlet.
Even if there was more evidence connecting McCarthy to Rozak, to leap in such a threatening way to an elderly lady is not right.
