Loveland attorney alleges in federal lawsuit that Loveland Police forcibly arrested 73-year old...

[demmiblue]

Loveland attorney alleges in federal lawsuit that Loveland Police forcibly arrested 73-year old w/dementia shortly after she left a Walmart .

She had initially left without paying for $14 worth of goods. Returned to store and tried to pay w/credit card.

Arrest happened anyway

Karen Garner weighs 80 pounds

Is five feet tall.

She suffered dislocated shoulder, broken bone and sprained wrist during arrest, according to lawsuit

She repeatedly tried to tell officer, "I'm going home"

She was two blocks away from home

Link to tweet

[Ocelot II]

1. WTF is wrong with those cops?

A tiny elderly woman with dementia, ffs. Anyone could tell that she didn't understand what was going on and that she wasn't a threat to anybody. It's true that the police are especially inclined to abuse Black people, but it's evident that a lot of them will use excessive force without hesitation on anyone who doesn't immediately cooperate with them, even if it's obvious that the person is impaired in some way.

[demmiblue]

3. It boggles the mind, doesn't it?!

There is someone with mental health issues near me who has had the cops called on him several times. It was a relief to hear from one of his neighbors that they now only send EMS. I don't know much about the situation, but I got the vibe that he isn't very compliant with his medical regimen.

[Blue_true]

8. It does seem like there is a total lack of commonsense and control among some police.

They go from zero to 80 instantly, even when just taking a few seconds would have both kept them safe and kept citizens safe.

[sop]

12. And why do cops even have to get to 80 in every situation?

One could understand if a bank is being held up, or some lunatic is shooting up a school, and they refuse to comply with police commands to put down their weapons. But, some elderly woman who tried to leave a Walmart without paying for $14 worth of stuff, then returned it and is just walking home?

Why escalate to that level of force if she doesn't comply? Why escalate at all? If it's so important, just follow the woman home and have someone send her a summons through the mail. Better yet, give her a ride home; that's what "to protect and serve" on the side of the cop car means.

I don't understand why every single act of non-compliance needs to escalate to violence. Are cops' authoritarian impulses so uncontrollable they can't see the absurdity of wrestling a 73-year-old woman to the ground and sending her to the hospital for $14?

[uponit7771]

20. The "80" Is encouraged and rewarded with time off with pay

[uponit7771]

19. Right?!

[demmiblue]

2. Article:

Loveland police promise investigation after video shows elderly woman forced to the ground by officers

A lawsuit claims Karen Garner suffered a dislocated shoulder, a broken humerus and a sprained wrist during the arrest June 2020 arrest.

LOVELAND, Colo. — Loveland Police said Thursday the department just learned about an alleged incident of excessive force involving a 73-year-old woman with dementia that happened nearly a year ago when body camera footage of the incident was posted on its Facebook page.

A Loveland attorney filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Karen Garner, the woman in the video. The lawsuit alleges that she was injured after being forced to the ground by a Loveland Police officer.

Her crime? The lawsuit suggests she attempted to leave a Walmart with less than $14 worth of items she forgot to purchase.

The lawsuit says Garner suffered a dislocated shoulder, a broken humerus and a sprained wrist during the arrest.

https://www.9news.com/article/news/investigations/federal-civil-rights-lawsuit-filed-after-loveland-woman-73-forced-to-ground-by-police/73-c7818da9-8eeb-4e93-8648-8630942dce74

[fifthoffive]

4. Why is that cop so out of breath? n/m

[Mariana]

15. It doesn't sound to me like he's out of breath.

It sounds to me like he's getting sexually aroused by inflicting pain on this woman.

[shanti]

16. It's hard work arresting old ladies.

He's a scumbag, as is his partner.

[sop]

5. "Difficult to watch" is an understatement. This is sickening. It has to stop.

We have allowed law enforcement to run amok in this country, resulting a vast police state where force is the preferred response to every situation, and cops employ violence to punish anyone who disobeys.

It's obvious this officer wanted to punish and inflict pain, twisting the woman's arm till he dislocated her shoulder, then taking her roughly to the ground when she "resisted." He never evaluated her obviously-impaired mental state, he immediately escalated and used force.

[Blue_true]

10. You used an exact phrase that I believe looms large in that situation,

“her obviously impaired mental state”. Just from watching his body cam video, even I could tell that the woman was not all there. He seems like one of the adrenaline junkies that too many police departments seem to like hiring.

[Arazi]

6. You can hear her arm break and they still wouldn't call an ambulance

Monsters

[DVRacer]

18. I heard the audible pop and was sick

Imagine someone doing that to your mother or grandmother.

[dalton99a]

7. Abusive sadistic assholes.

[Blue_true]

9. Wow. Neither cop figured out that maybe there was something wrong with a

person that could do nothing else but say one phrase over and over. A situation like that is EXACTLY why money should be diverted toward cops that have training in psychology and can handle such situations better.

[lpbk2713]

11. Those injuries will keep her impaired for the rest of her life.

Elderly bodies don't always heal up real well.

I hope she gets good legal representation.

[Arazi]

13. Hope her family gets good legal aid for her since she's got dementia 🤬

[Ilsa]

14. My guess is that when she leaves the hospital, she'll

be discharged to a nursing home or memory care home permanently. If her family is caring for her, it has suddenly become too difficult to manage unless you know what you're doing.

[MustLoveBeagles]

17. This makes me cry

What the hell is wrong with those cops?