A 95-year-old Australian woman died on Wednesday, a week after she was tasered in her nursing home, the New South Wales (NSW) police said. According to CNN, Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother, had been in a hospital in critical condition due the serious injuries including a fractured skull she sustained when she fell to the floor as she was being tasered. In a Facebook post, the police said that she passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones “who have requested privacy during this sad and difficult time.”
Senior constable, Kristian White, 33, who allegedly tasered the elderly woman has been charged with multiple offences including common assault and recklessly causing grievous bodily harm and can carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He is due to appear at Cooma local court on July 5, The Guardian reported.
NSW Police Force Assistant Commission Peter Cotter said that the police were called to her home at Yallambee Lodge aged care facility in Cooma at around 4:15 am on May 17 with the report that a resident was armed with a steak knife. Police say they urged Nowland to drop a serrated steak knife before she moved towards them "at a slow pace" with her walking frame, prompting one officer to fire his taser at her.
During a press conference, New South Wales (NSW) Police Commissioner Karen Webb said that Nowland’s family had been informed of the charges relating to what she described as a “nasty incident”, as per The Guardian.
The incident was captured in the body cameras, however, footage has not been released publicly. Webb said she would not view it herself, until the investigators finished gathering evidence. She also defended White, who has been suspended with pay, stating that “people are innocent until proven guilty” and that he deserved the same opportunity as any other resident.
NSW police guidelines say that tasers should only be used on elderly or disabled people in “exceptional circumstances.”
A family friend of Clare Nowland, Andrew Thaler said she was frail and unable to stand unaided. She weighed just 43 kilograms and was 5ft 2 inches tall and was suffering from dementia. After the incident, Thaler questioned, “Why has it taken so long? Anyone else would have been charged straight away”. Earlier this week, Nowland’s family released a statement asking for privacy, and thanking people for their support.