An elderly woman with dementia from Colorado is set to receive a $3 million settlement after winning case over police officers' rough arrest of the 73-year-old last year, officials said on Wednesday.
The victim, identified as Karen Garner, was arrested by then-officer Austin Hopp after the woman left a story without paying for items she took that were worth about $14. The incident occurred in Loveland located about 80 kilometers north of Denver.
Rough Arrest of Elderly Woman With Dementia
Body camera video recordings showed how Garner turned away from Hopp, who then grabbed her arm and pushed her down to the ground in a rough arrest. The victim later filed a federal lawsuit after she claimed that the incident resulted in a dislocated shoulder after the police officer pushed her handcuffed left arm into the hood of his patrol car.
During the announcement of the proposed settlement, City Manager Steve Adams apologized to Garner and her family for the traumatic experience. Sarah Schielke, Garner's lawyer, confirmed the settlement proposal, NPR reported.
"The settlement with Karen Garner will help bring some closure to an unfortunate event in our community but does not upend the work we have left to do," Adams said during his announcement. The victim's lawyer and family members plan to hold a press conference on Wednesday to discuss the details of the settlement.
In another statement, Adams said the community did not act in a manner that upheld their values, integrity, and policies enforced in the city and among police officers. The announcement came after the lawsuit detailed how Garner was denied medical assistance while being held at the station for hours despite complaining of her injuries.
Authorities charged Hopp with two felony counts of second-degree assault causing serious bodily injury and attempting to influence a public servant. The police officer was also charged with a misdemeanor count of official misconduct, Reuters reported.
Building Back Trust in the Police
A second officer who was involved in Garner's arrest, Daria Jalali, was charged with three misdemeanor counts of failing to report the use of force, failure to intervene, and official misconduct. A spokeswoman for Hopp's attorney said the suspect did not have any comments regarding the case. Two lawyers, who were representing Jalali, also did not comment on the case.
Schielke released internal police documents that showed at the time of Garner's arrest, three police supervisors considered the officers' use of force was "reasonable and appropriate." Police Chief Bob Ticer on Wednesday addressed the issue and said there was no excuse, under any circumstances, to consider Garner's arrest as appropriate.
Body camera footage of the arrest also seemed to show the three officers involved in the arrest laughing during the incident. All three officers resigned following the incident. Allisa Swartz, Garner's daughter, said in May that the suspects deserved to go to jail for what they did to her mother.
Loveland authorities also announced changes to policies and practices within the police department. These include improved use-of-force review and opportunities for residents to engage with department leadership. "We have agreed on steps we need to take to begin building back trust," Ticer said, CBS News reported.
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