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A police officer has been charged after allegedly using a Taser on a 95-year-old great grandmother, who has since died.
Senior Constable Kristian White, 33, currently faces charges of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault. Those charges came before she passed away today (Wednesday, May 24).
Police were called to a care home in New South Wales, Australia, at around 4am last Wednesday (May 17) following reports that dementia sufferer Clare Nowland was walking around while carrying a knife.
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Police attempted to disarm her before she was Tasered twice and left with a fractured skull. She was receiving “end of life care” in hospital and has now tragically passed away.
Clare had eight children, 24 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren, with four more expected this year.
Clare weighed under seven stone and police said she was advancing on them at a "slow pace" with a walking frame while holding a serrated steak knife.
Officers said they felt so threatened by her that they needed to use force, causing her to fall back and smash her head.
Andrew Thaler, who knows the family, told the Guardian Australia: "The police Tasered this woman twice, once in front of her chest, and once in the back, then she’s fallen and struck her head."
Body-cam footage captured the whole ordeal, but police said they will not release it as it forms a crucial part of their investigation.
White is due to appear in Cooma Local Court on July 5 and remains suspended from duty with pay.
The police's first statement failed to mention Tasering and only revealed there had been an "interaction" with the great-grandmother.
Radio host Ben Fordham pressed the police chief on why they had not informed the public what really happened and whether they were "'hiding something that might be embarrassing or shameful for the police?"
She replied: "The Nowland family deserve to learn from police what happened rather than hear about it in the media."
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- Police
- Crime
- Australia
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