Loveland (Colo.) police face federal civil rights lawsuit over arrest of 73-year-old woman

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://www.timescall.com/2021/04/14/loveland-police-face-federal-civil-rights-lawsuit-over-arrest-of-73-year-old-woman/

A Loveland law office has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Loveland Police Department over the arrest of a 73-year-old Loveland woman last summer that the woman’s attorney called “a nightmare.”

According to a press release from attorney Sarah Schielke, the Life and Liberty Law Office filed the lawsuit and initiated the case Wednesday, alleging excessive use of force against the department and officers Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali and Sgt. Phil Metzler for the arrest of Karen Garner on June 26, 2020.

(snip)

The suit says Garner suffers from dementia and sensory aphasia, which impairs her ability to communicate and understand. She had left the store at 1325 N. Denver Ave. without paying for $13.38 worth of items, according to the suit. Employees stopped her at the exit to retrieve the items but reportedly refused to let her pay for them.

Then as she walked home, according to the suit, Garner was stopped by Hopp, who called out to her to stop and talk to him. When she indicated she did not understand him, Hopp restrained Garner, with court documents saying he “violently assaulted her, twisting her arms behind her back, throwing her to the ground and handcuffing her.”

Unreformable.

[Arazi]

1. Brutal. She's clearly mentally impaired, obvious from the start

The officer is on a monster power trip. Those pictures of her injuries are going to be pretty persuasive to a jury.

Terribly sad

[Deuce]

2. After reading the article & watching the video...

My initial reaction was to fire everyone in the department and start over. Do a better evaluation of whether the candidates have the proper temperament to serve the public without abusing it. JMO

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. Is protecting Wal-Mart's assets serving the public?

[multigraincracker]

4. Always start at the top.

Elected mayors and sheriffs is where the buck stops.

[uponit7771]

9. +1, they need to start at the top. A lot of these "bad cops" are repeat offenders

[PatSeg]

5. As an elderly woman, that freaked me out

The amount of damage they could do to an older person's body is terrifying. If she had osteoporosis, the pain and damage would have been even worse. If a heart condition, it could have been deadly. There appeared to be no real attempt to actually talk to her calmly. It would take less than a minute to realize that the woman had dementia and then act accordingly, assuming they even KNOW how to act accordingly in such a case.

I've worked in retail and I have seen police deal with people like that. I have never seen them be abusive or rough and they often convince the person to let them take her/him safely home. But that was years ago. Though there have always been issues, policing has gotten more aggressive and militaristic over the years.

So many people see the videos online and TV and think they're safe, because it only happens to young men of color. It doesn't affect them, but if we allow unwarranted physical violence to anyone, we are all in jeopardy. There but for fortune.

[tishaLA]

6. I watched the video of her arrest yesterday

And the sound of him breaking her arm (and the appearance of her dislocated shoulder) hasn't left me. Repulsive. And she only weighs 80 lbs. They needed all that force--and then Den we her medical attention for over 6 hours.

[Tree Lady]

7. The thing that gets me is refusing to let her pay

She obviously was confused, so let her pay and move on.

I told my husband yesterday the police have become military and we are all the enemy, I don't feel like they are protectors anymore.

[Lonestarblue]

12. That's also on the Walmart employees who refused to let her pay.

Talking to her for two minutes would have revealed that she was confused, not trying to steal things. I am constantly dismayed by the indifference and lack of compassion so often on display in this country.

[Dustlawyer]

8. When you are a hammer everyone else is a nail!

[seta1950]

10. Disgusting

My husband has aphasia, it takes patience and slow conversation for him to understand, specially when he’s stressed. Shame on the police.

[Johnny2X2X]

11. Sickening and maddening

If this were my mother I would make it my life's work to ruin the lives of everyone involved, and if that didn't work I would resort to violence.

These officers are absolute subhuman animals. So proud of themselves after destroying a little old disabled woman's arm and shoulder, practically high fiving. Evil, pure evil. They brutalized her and then left her to suffer, you would not treat a dog as poorly.