A 95-year-old Australian woman was tasered by police after she allegedly refused to let go of a steak knife at an aged care facility in the town of Cooma in New South Wales (NSW) state.
Police reported the woman, Clare Nowland, had dementia and was receiving end-of-life care at Yallambee Lodge when the incident happened on May 17th.
Nowland struck her head on the floor after being tased. She was taken to Cooma District Hospital and is currently in critical condition.
The woman's family rushed to the hospital to be by her bedside. A representative of the Nowland family said they are not expecting her to survive from her injuries.
Police investigation
The New South Wales Police Force has announced the body camera recordings of the officers involved in the incident will be collected as part of their internal investigation.
NSW Police assistant commissioner Peter Cotter said the recordings included "confronting footage" and is not in the public interest for release yet.
Cotter added that the officer who fired the taser was off duty at that time and facing "level 1 critical incident investigation", which included injuries leading to death or imminent death.
"At the time she was tasered, she was approaching police," Cotter said. "But it is fair to say at a slow pace. She had a walking frame. But she had a knife."
Meanwhile, NSW Police commissioner Karen Webb said she does not plan to watch the footage until all the other evidence is reviewed.
Speaking to Sydney-based radio station 2GB, Webb said she may be able to watch the footage of the incident if she has to call the shots regarding the investigation, but only if she has the full context of the situation.
"It's important that we follow a process," Webb said. "I will make my determination impartially."
NSW Premier Chris Minns concurred with Webb's decision, saying that while the incident was troubling, it would be best for her to make the call within the full context of all the evidence presented.
While Webb answered the details regarding the incident, she did not confirm if the officer who fired the taser was stood down. However, she confirmed that the officer is currently not reporting for duty and "his welfare is being monitored."
Webb also confirmed that the footage will not be publicized as it is protected under the state's Surveillance Act.
Community backlash
Meanwhile, the community within Cooma and surrounding areas called the tasing of Nowland "disgusting."
Dalgety local Christian Wood said the incident should never have escalated to the tasing of an old woman, admitting that the incident was "a bit hard to swallow".
"Police are not likely to put their hand up and claim fault," Wood said, "and obviously we have just got to wait and see what comes out of it."
Cooma resident Robert Finch agrees with the local sentiment, saying the officer involved should not have tased her.
"I just hope for Clare's sake, I hope the truth comes out and I hope it is all sorted out," he said.
National Older Women's Network president Beverley Baker said the tasing incident shocked her. She called for the NSW Police to improve their taser training, saying that tasing Nowland to prevent a violent crime was "completely and utterly over the top."
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey refused to endorse calls to publicize the investigation upon its completion, stating that the probe is handled by the NSW Police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
