Grandmother, 95, who was tasered by police has died

Steve Hopkins

The police officer was charged on Wednesday.

A 95-year-old woman who was tasered twice by a police officer in a care home has died. Clare Nowland was tasered by police in Cooma, a town in New South Wales, Australia in an incident that has caused widespread outrage.

The grandmother, who suffered from dementia, had been found holding a serrated steak knife during the early hours of Wednesday morning at Yallambee Lodge nursing home. According to the BBC, Mrs Nowland suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed after falling during the incident.

Mrs Nowlannd received end-of-life care at Cooma District Hospital, and it was announced on Wednesday that she died. Her death comes just hours after NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed that the officer involved in the incident has been charged with grievous bodily harm.

“Within the last hour, New South Wales Police have commenced legal action against a 33-year-old senior constable from Monaro Police District for the offences of recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and assault,” the Police Commissioner said at a press conference.

“He will appear at the Cooma local court on Wednesday July, 5 this year.

“This matter now is before the court. There’s little more that I can say about it, other than to say that the Nowland family have been informed of this development and our thoughts and prayers are with Mrs Nowland and her family this evening.

“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the detectives that have worked around the clock on this to get to this point within seven days of that accident… A nasty incident involving Mrs Nowland and the serious charges are now before the court.”

The officer who deployed the taser, who has 12 years of experience in the job, has stood down from duties.

The incident was recorded on the officer’s bodycam, with the footage being used as evidence as part of the investigation into what happened.

#Breaking: The police officer who tasered an aged-care resident has been charged and will face court in July. Senior Constable Kristian White has been hit with 3 charges, after using a taser on a 95-year-old dementia patient, Clare Nowland who was armed with a steak knife. pic.twitter.com/6PtAWSedNh

— 10 News First (@10NewsFirst) May 24, 2023