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Cops Tackled a Grandma With Dementia Picking Flowers, Bodycam Footage Shows
Vice.com ^ | 4/16/2021 | Emma Ockerman

Posted on 04/21/2021 1:32:55 PM PDT by simpson96

A 73-year-old grandmother of nine was picking wildflowers on the side of the road in Loveland, Colorado, last summer when a local cop got out of his patrol vehicle and told her to stop—beginning a police encounter that ultimately left her with broken bones, bruised, and traumatized.

Loveland Police Officer Austin Hopp had been driving behind Karen Garner with his overhead lights on because she was accused of shoplifting from a nearby Walmart. But Garner did not appear to notice, according to body camera footage published by Garner’s attorney Wednesday.

Garner has dementia and sensory aphasia, an inability to understand spoken and written speech, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed on her behalf this week against the city of Loveland and three officers involved in Garner’s arrest.

Hopp asked Garner why she didn’t stop after he activated his lights and siren, at which point Garner gave him a blank expression, said something unintelligible, and started to move away.

“No, no, no,” Hopp said, according to bodycam footage.

Hopp then grabbed the 80-pound woman, threw her to the grass, and twisted her arms behind her back, bodycam footage shows. Garner was still clutching a handful of wildflowers. A second cop, Daria Jalali, arrived within minutes and assisted in the arrest.

Then, despite Garner’s evident distress and small stature, Hopp pushed her left arm “painfully upward,” according to body camera footage and the lawsuit. Police repeatedly threw her on the ground, and hog-tied her on the side of the road—a controversial restraint that’s been banned by some police departments.(snip)

“I’m going home,” Garner cried repeatedly.

As a result of the incident, Garner was left with a dislocated shoulder, a fractured humerus bone, and a sprained wrist, the lawsuit alleges. She was covered with bruises by the time she arrived at

(Excerpt) Read more at vice.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: colorado; elderlyabuse
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To: Maigrey

Yes. Have had to do the same and it directly impacted my MILs quality of life. The alternative of doing nothing was to enable her to really hurt herself, or someone else. Wife and I couldn’t bear doing that and we’re proactive.


81 posted on 04/21/2021 2:20:34 PM PDT by zek157
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To: ScubaDiver

Who said back in the day? One is an NYPD cop who works out out One Police Plaza in Manhattan. He said it was horrible to watch. One is retired. Other two work for small towns in NJ.You know the police officer is looked up to and a respected member of community.


82 posted on 04/21/2021 2:21:06 PM PDT by gcparent (MAGA)
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To: taxcontrol

He had help from that horrible female cop.


83 posted on 04/21/2021 2:22:51 PM PDT by gcparent (MAGA)
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To: gcparent

As fascinating as all that is, you still haven’t explained how shoplifting suspects who don’t want to be detained should be detained.

Is a suspect’s objection to arrest enough to forestall the arrest? Is that how they’re doing in NYC under de Blasio these days?


84 posted on 04/21/2021 2:23:34 PM PDT by ScubaDiver (Reddit refugee.)
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To: Maigrey

Last fender bender we wouldn’t repair the car. That was a week after replacing over $1000 in tires because they were ruined hitting curbs.

Had a couple episodes of cops showing up for hit an runs too.

Only thing I can say is we waited too long. Being responsible sucks sometimes and is often hard. I miss her every day.


85 posted on 04/21/2021 2:25:53 PM PDT by zek157
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To: ScubaDiver

“ That’s how enforcing laws works. Old people don’t get to shoplift. Ladies don’t get to shoplift. Dementia patients don’t get shoplift.”
**************

Whew! Aren’t you a piece of work 🥴!!!


86 posted on 04/21/2021 2:27:04 PM PDT by snoringbear (,W,E.oGovernment is the Pimp, )
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To: ScubaDiver

Are you just plain stupid? She was an old woman.

Answer your own question and buy a clue.


87 posted on 04/21/2021 2:27:20 PM PDT by zek157
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To: snoringbear

And the charges against her were dropped as they should be.


88 posted on 04/21/2021 2:30:05 PM PDT by gcparent (MAGA)
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To: ScubaDiver

Sorry, we might have read different incidents. She wasn’t a youf.


89 posted on 04/21/2021 2:30:49 PM PDT by zek157
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To: Chainmail

not smearing anyone

there have been issues with military going into cop roles

my point was its something to consider where you see such a massive overuse of force in this mild type of situation

many military folks didnt get help to deal with what they dealt wuth and it can come back to screw them and those they interacr with, it hasn’t done anyone ant favors not dealing with it or saying it doesnt exist or they will just get over it


90 posted on 04/21/2021 2:31:32 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: simpson96

Wow.. four cops vs an 80-pound old woman with dementia. The courage is stunning. /s


91 posted on 04/21/2021 2:32:26 PM PDT by ScottinVA (Enough. Divide the country.. now. )
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To: glorgau

Dementia Joe thinks the cop should have just shot her in the knee.

Well, apparently this incident doesn’t matter because the woman wasn’t black.


92 posted on 04/21/2021 2:34:32 PM PDT by RooRoobird20
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To: ScubaDiver

You’re the one saying there was nothing wrong with the guy handling a small, elderly woman as if she’s an average-sized male.


93 posted on 04/21/2021 2:43:45 PM PDT by wastedyears (The left would kill every single one of us and our families if they knew they could get away with it)
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To: bort
I know this is unfortunate but, for Pete’s Sake, the cop is just doing his job.

Similar defense was given at the Nuremberg Trials.

94 posted on 04/21/2021 2:45:35 PM PDT by wastedyears (The left would kill every single one of us and our families if they knew they could get away with it)
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To: ScubaDiver
That’s how enforcing laws works.

Human nature being what it is, the law cannot extend to good officers the discretion to do their job effectively, without extending to bad officers the ability to act oppressively. So perhaps in a country with no jury system the judge, or three judge panel, who hear criminal cases all the time, can refrain from considering the thuggish stupidity of officer A, when hearing cases that turn on the testimony of officers B, C or D.

But civilians tend to have far less exposure to LEOs, and to be unfamiliar with the arresting officer(s) the once or twice in a lifetime they serve on a jury. That makes their general opinion of LEOs very important in criminal cases. The local DA, back in the 60s, used to give a talk to LEOs about once a year, that ended: Men (they were all men then) you win, or lose, jury trials every day you on the job, by the way you treat the public. If the jurors of this county show up to court believing you to be fair and honest there will be very little the defense attorney can do to change their minds during the course of the trial. And if they show up believing you not to be fair and honest, there will be very little I can do to change their minds during the course of the trial.

Whether or not this cop's behavior is held to be tortious, it was morally wrong from a purely human point of view, and profoundly stupid from a pro law enforcement point of view.

95 posted on 04/21/2021 2:57:34 PM PDT by Pilsner
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To: ScubaDiver

They aren’t locking anyone up due to Covid anyway and they don’t prosecute the mentally incompetent.

So yes, the officer should have put his smart thinking cap on and made better decisions.

If the costs to the department came out of his pocket or the union pockets, you can be damn sure he would have behaved differently.


96 posted on 04/21/2021 3:01:06 PM PDT by Valpal1
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To: Secret Agent Man

Which is unmitigated crap. Veterans actually make better police officers because of the maturation they receive in their military service and thanks to combat experience, they are less trigger-happy in high stress situations than their civilian counterparts.

You clearly don’t have any experience with actual veterans.


97 posted on 04/21/2021 3:14:10 PM PDT by Chainmail (Remember - that half the people you meet are below average intelligence)
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To: Chainmail

Chauvin was an MP.


98 posted on 04/21/2021 3:24:22 PM PDT by gcparent (MAGA)
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To: Maigrey

You can learn a lot by reading the whole article. This applies to very many repliers.


99 posted on 04/21/2021 3:34:59 PM PDT by matthew fuller (Reserved)
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To: snoringbear

He hasn’t made three months yet. I’m betting that he doesn’t.


100 posted on 04/21/2021 3:43:30 PM PDT by matthew fuller (Reserved)
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