Australian Police Officer Faces Manslaughter Charge for Taser-Related Death of Elderly Woman in Nursing Home
An Australian police officer faces manslaughter charges for using a taser on a 95-year-old woman with dementia in a nursing home, sparking outrage and raising questions about the appropriate use of force in vulnerable situations
A 95-year-old woman with dementia was tasered by an Australian police officer in a nursing home, leading to the officer being charged with manslaughter. The woman, Clare Nowland, succumbed to her injuries a week after the incident.
Police responded to a call from care staff at a home in Cooma, New South Wales, reporting that a resident was armed with a knife. Allegedly, 33-year-old senior constable Kristian White tasered Nowland at the home after instructing her to drop the steak knife she was holding.
The New York attorney general's office has announced that no criminal charges will be filed against officers involved in the incident where a man, covered in hand sanitizer, caught fire after being tased. The man, Jason Jones, later died in the hospital on December 15, 2021, weeks after the incident. The three officers from the Catskill Police Department were responsible for the incident.
The New York attorney general's office has announced that the officers who tased a man, causing him to catch fire and later die, will not face criminal charges.
White, who has been suspended from his role with pay, was initially charged with multiple offenses including recklessly causing grievous bodily harm and assault.
A statement published online on Wednesday by New South Wales Police stated, "Following advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, State Crime Commands Homicide Squad have today laid an additional charge of Manslaughter against a 33-year-old Senior Constable attached to the Monaro Police District."
Staff at the nursing home tried to persuade Nowland to give up the knives she was holding, but she threw one at them instead, according to Sky News Australia. When White and another officer found her, along with ambulance staff, she was holding one of the knives in a room, as stated in court documents referenced by the broadcaster. The other officer tried to take the knife, but Nowland reportedly advanced towards them with her walker.
Homicide investigators have opened an inquiry into the death of a 47-year-old woman shot by police with a taser in a suburb close to the Australian city of Newcastle.
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Second Australian woman this year dies after being shot by police taser
White then reportedly brandished and activated his taser, warning the victim: "Clare, stop now. Look at this, it's a taser. Drop the knife now, this is your first warning."
The victim then raised the hand with the knife to chest level, as detailed in the court documents, and White deployed the taser, causing her to fall and hit her head while still holding her walker.
According to family friend Andrew Thaler, prior to the incident, Nowland was fragile and unable to stand without assistance. She weighed only 43 kilograms (95 pounds) and stood at 5-foot-2 (1.58 meters) tall, and was also suffering from dementia. White, who is scheduled to appear in court on December 6, is currently suspended from the force with pay and has not yet entered a plea.
