SALEM, Va. (AP) [5.6.99] - A judge has dismissed charges against a
77-year-old woman who was hit with pepper spray and dragged from her
car by a police officer after parking on the wrong side of the road. 
 
Judge George Harris dismissed reckless driving and obstruction charges
against Goldie Akers without explanation after a hearing Wednesday. 

Ms. Akers was arrested Nov. 8 after driving across the road from her
home to pick up her mail from her mailbox. She said she did that
routinely because it was difficult for her to walk down her driveway. 

Roanoke County Officer R.L. Metcalf stopped Akers when he saw her car
facing the wrong way, and sprayed her through her cracked window after
she pulled her car back into the driveway and refused to speak to him.
He dragged her off to jail in handcuffs. 

Metcalf said he feared Ms. Akers would use the car as a weapon. 

The officer was fired over the incident, and last week county
officials agreed to pay Ms. Akers $45,000 for a shoulder injury. 

Ms. Akers now rents a post office box.