Ex-officer sentenced to five years in prison for violent arrest of 73-year-old lady

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

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

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

Body digital camera footage from Hopp confirmed the officer approaching Garner as she walked residence. Carrying a wildflower in her hand, she failed to adjust to a number of 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 said. 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 instances about having injuries, CBS Denver reported. She was allegedly pressured to sit down in a holding cell with out medical consideration for hours, even after Hopp, Jalali and one other workers had been heard on security footage acknowledging that she could have accidents.

After a quick investigation, Hopp resigned from the Loveland Police Department, as did Jalali. Each have been arrested and charged with crimes associated to Garner's arrest.

As first reported by CBS Denver, the Larimer County District Lawyer's Office elected to maneuver forward with a plea agreement towards the will of the Garner family. The household felt the video in the case proved Hopp was guilty on all counts beyond an affordable doubt.