Tasered Grandmother Says Next Time She'll `Say Nothing'

(AP) A 72-year-old Texas woman who was Tasered during a traffic stop when she dared a deputy constable to use the stun gun said Tuesday that if she got pulled over again she would say nothing.

In an interview on NBC's "Today" show, Kathryn Winkfein acknowledged that she lost her temper during the May 11 confrontation and that if she had to do it over, "I would just not say anything, not react."

Winkfein was stopped for driving 60 mph in a 45-mph zone near Austin. A dashboard camera in the deputy constable's car shows the 4-foot-11 Winkfein getting out of her truck, arguing with the officer and swearing at him.

The video, released nationwide, shows the officer using the Taser and Winkfein hitting the ground and moaning in pain.

The incident is being reviewed by prosecutors. An internal investigation found no violations by the deputy constable.

Winkfein this month accepted a $40,000 settlement offer from Travis County. County Judge Sam Biscoe said defending a lawsuit would have cost much more.

Based on the tape, Winkfein said she did not behave in an appropriate manner. But she said Tuesday she thought she was mistreated, given her age.

"I just lost my temper. I do that maybe twice a year, but that day I lost it," Winkfein said.

Her attorney, Thomas Tourtellotte, said his client twice offered to sign the ticket being written by the officer.

"He could have easily said: `Let's step over here, let's sign the ticket, and we can all go down the road,'" Tourtellotte said.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)