Police officer, the 95-year-old shocked with Taser, condemned for manslaughter

Police officer, the 95-year-old shocked with Taser, condemned for manslaughter

A police officer who fatally injured a 95-year-old woman in an Australian nursing home with a Taser was convicted of manslaughter. A jury found that the great -grandmother who held a knife did not represent a "immediate" threat.

background of the incident

Senior Constable Kristian White was one of two police officers who were called to Yallambee Lodge, a nursing home in New South Wales in May last year, after the staff asked for help with a resident who kept two knives while driving through the furnishings with a rollator

The situation with Clare Nowland

Clare Nowland, who suffered from dementia, had not given in to the requests of her supervisors to return to her room, and threw a knife on an employee who fell on the floor before choosing the emergency call. The court heard that she was circled by the police and rescue workers in an office and did not want to lay down the steak knife when White used his taser.

the judgment

The jury advised more than three days before it announced a blame for manslaughter against White, since he violated his duty of care towards Nowland and had exerted an illegal and dangerous act.

White had stated in court that he believed that a "violent conflict was imminent" - a prerequisite for the use of a taser according to the standard operating processes in New South Wales. The regulations state that a taser may only be used in "extraordinary circumstances" against older people.

reactions of the family

The public prosecutor argued that White's use of the taser was "completely unnecessary" and an excessive use of violence against a frail, older woman. After she was shocked with the device, Nowland fell backwards and hit her head. She died in the hospital a week later.

The Novlands family published an explanation in which she thanked the judge, the jury and the prosecutors and said that it would “take a while to deal with the jury's confirmation that Clares death was a criminal and unjustified act by an active police officer from NSW.”

insights into the incident

The court played a video from the surveillance network, which showed how the incident took place around 5 p.m. on May 17, 2023 in the administrative building of the nursing home.

on the witness stand was asked for his thoughts when he and his partner Nowland, which was found in a small office by the supervisors, approached. She wore pajamas and had a rollator near to support.

The last minutes of the incident

In the video you can hear how White Nowland repeatedly asks to put the knife on the table. After refusing and straightening up on the rollator with one hand, White pulled his taser.

"Do you see that?" Asked White. "This is a Taser. Put it off now," he said, pointing to the knife. After several further requests, he warned her: "You will be done."

After further warnings, White said: "No, it doesn't matter" and used the taser. The court heard that White had directed the Taser on Nowland for a minute before using it.

When asked what he meant by "no, no matter" and whether that was a sign that he "had enough" and tried not to solve the problem further, he rejected this and explained that this was his only option to ensure a secure solution to the incident.

political and public consequences

"This was not a mere injury to the standard of care," added Hatfield. "It was a completely unnecessary and obviously excessive use of violence against Ms. Nowland, who justifies punishment for manslaughter." White was suspended by the NSW police after the incident.