A 95-year-old Australian woman who was tasered by a police officer a week ago at her nursing home because she was "armed with a knife" died in hospital on Wednesday.
"It is with great sadness that we confirm the death of 95-year-old Clare Nowland in Cooma this evening," New South Wales state police said in a statement.
The statement is careful to point out that the old lady passed away "peacefully" surrounded by her family and loved ones.
Hours earlier, a suspended 33-year-old police officer was charged in connection with the case for, among other things, recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm. He will appear in court on July 5.
Police Commissioner Karen Webb said Clare Nowland's family had been informed of the "serious charges" against the officer.
The elderly lady, who had 24 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren, had been in critical condition in hospital since being hit by electronic stun gun fire on May 17 in an incident that deeply shocked Australians.
Police had been called to the Yallambee Lodge nursing home in southern New South Wales by staff who told them a woman was "armed with a knife".
They said they urged Clare Nowland to drop that serrated meat knife before she walked "at a slow pace" in their direction leaning on her walker. At this time, the offending officer used his taser against her.
Calls for the opening of a parliamentary inquiry in New South Wales and to make public the images taken by the body camera of the offending police officer had been issued following this affair.
"We do not intend to broadcast (the video), unless there is a procedure at the end (of this drama) which allows it to be done", had in this regard reacted the week -Last end Commissioner Karen Webb who herself limited herself to listening to the recording.
"I don't think it's necessary for me to actually watch it," she commented.
The fact that Clare Nowland was targeted with a taser “has sparked outrage among the people of the state which shows how desperately we need police reform,” the MP hammered this week. local environmentalist Sue Higginson.
Commissioner Webb said her colleagues might need to be "better equipped" to deal with patients with dementia.
24/05/2023 15:55:09 - Sydney (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
