Cops Arrest 82-Year-Old Lady For Unpaid $77 Trash Ticket

Alabama police arrested an 82-year-old lady after she didn't pay a $77.80 trash ticket.

Really? In this economy? During the holiday season?!

Martha Menefield was left in tears after being handcuffed and arrested and brought to a Valley, Alabama jail at the end of November. However, body cam footage has now been released showing what happened.

At first, the grandmother thought police were joking when they knocked on her front door. But eventually Menefield realized they were actually there to arrest her.

At one point one of the cops even starts laughing - realizing that this is as absurd as everyone knows it is.

"Don't cry, Ms. Martha" one of the officers can be heard saying.

After online outrage grew - including some that were willing to pay any outstanding bills for her -Valley Police Chief Mike Reynolds posted a statement on the City Hall's Facebook page justifying the arrest.

Reynolds said that Menefield had been issued multiple citations regarding her trash payments, and that she has had her trash pickup suspended three times in the past two years.

MENEFIELD SAID SHE NEVER RECEIVED A CITATION

Chief Reynolds writes that they previously left her a citation letter on her door to appear in court and when she didn't, the court issued an arrest warrant because of course they did.

Menefield - who I remind you is 82-years-old, says that she never saw the citation and told KTLA that if she did she would have appeared in court.

THIS is the stuff that we have our cops doing, rather than actually going after legitimate criminals?

The thing that I don't understand is when they say that they were just following protocol. How many times do we see protocol never followed by prosecutors and local judges when they allow criminals back out on the streets? This is the stuff that makes everyone roll their eyes and lose faith in the system.

I'm not saying the cops are at fault here, but it's just another example of the system failing when we're arresting grandmothers over $77 tickets.

Cops arrested 82-year-old Martha Menefield over an unpaid trash tickets. (Facebook.com/LeeHedgepeth)