Ex-officer sentenced to 5 years in prison for violent arrest of 73-year-old girl

Practically two years after violently arresting a 73-year-old woman with dementia, former Colorado police officer Austin Hopp was sentenced to five years in jail on Thursday as a part of a plea agreement to minimize his jail time. The June 2020 arrest left Karen Garner with a broken arm, sprained wrist and separated shoulder, CBS Denver reported.

In Larimer County Court docket in early March, Hopp pleaded guilty to an assault cost that was punishable by 2 to 8 years in jail. That prevented the minimum 10 to 30 or extra years in prison he would have faced with a trial and conviction.

Hopp first encountered Garner after being dispatched to a report of an attempted theft at a Loveland Walmart, in keeping with CBS Denver. Garner, who has dementia, allegedly tried to steal lower than $15 price of goods from the store. When confronted by Walmart staff, she returned the objects and walked out of the shop.

Body digicam footage from Hopp confirmed the officer approaching Garner as she walked home. Carrying a wildflower in her hand, she failed to adjust to multiple orders to cease. Hopp is then seen grabbing Garner by the arm and forcefully taking her to the ground, CBS Denver reported.

As fellow officer Daria Jalali responded to the scene, Hopp allegedly separated Garner's shoulder by forcing her arm behind her again and up near her shoulder blades, CBS Denver mentioned. An audible pop is heard on the digicam, one thing Hopp acknowledged hearing in footage later launched by Loveland police.

Garner was taken to a holding facility on the Loveland Police Division, the place she complained multiple occasions about having injuries, CBS Denver reported. She was allegedly compelled to sit down in a holding cell with out medical attention for hours, even after Hopp, Jalali and one other employees had been heard on security footage acknowledging that she could have accidents.

After a brief investigation, Hopp resigned from the Loveland Police Division, as did Jalali. Both were arrested and charged with crimes associated to Garner's arrest.

As first reported by CBS Denver, the Larimer County District Legal professional's Office elected to move ahead with a plea agreement against the desire of the Garner family. The household felt the video within the case proved Hopp was responsible on all counts past a reasonable doubt.