Ex-officer reaches plea deal in violent arrest of 73-year-old woman in Colorado
A former police officer in Loveland, Colorado, has reached a plea deal in the violent arrest of a 73-year-old woman with dementia that sparked national outrage, CBS Denver reports. Austin Hopp pleaded guilty Wednesday to an assault charge that's punishable by 2 to 8 years in prison, avoiding the 10 to 30 years he could have faced had he been convicted at trial, the outlet said.
The June 2020 incident began after Karen Garner allegedly took about $15 worth of items from a Walmart, which she returned after being stopped by store workers. She then exited the store.
Body camera footage from her arrest showed an officer, later identified as Hopp, following her on her walk home. After she did not comply with multiple commands to stop, he took her to the ground and forcibly pulled her arms behind her back to handcuff her, the footage showed.
As he and another officer tried put her in a car, he appeared to press her elbow up towards her neck while she was against the vehicle — which her attorney said dislocated her shoulder — holding it and saying "Are you finished? Are you finished? We don't play this game."
Her attorney said her arm was broken, her shoulder was separated and she was covered in bruises as a result of the arrest.
Her attorney also said she was not taken to the hospital after she was arrested, and was left in a cell for six hours before she received medical care. The charges against her were later dropped.
Garner's family released video of the incident and filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over her arrest in April 2021, prompting a district attorney to call for a criminal review. Soon after, the family's attorney also released video footage showing officers laughing at a video of the arrest and appearing to show they knew she was injured.
"Ready for the pop?" Hopp said in the second video, referring to the moment they appeared to dislocate her shoulder. "Hear the pop?"
When another officer asked Hopp what had popped, he said, "I think it was her shoulder."
Days later, three of the officers involved — including Hopp — resigned. In May, he was charged with second-degree assault, attempting to influence a public servant and official misconduct. Another officer was charged with failing to report use of force, failing to intervene and official misconduct.
The city reached a $3 million settlement with Garner's family in September 2021.
"We extend a deep and heartfelt apology to Karen Garner and her family for what they have endured as a result of this arrest," city's manager Steve Adams said in a statement announcing the settlement. "We know we did not act in a manner that upholds the values, integrity, and policies of the City and police department, and we are taking the necessary steps to make sure these actions are never repeated."
Garner's daughter, Allisa Swartz told in May that "I don't want to see this happen to anyone else's families, again, I don't want to see it."
Hopp is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5, CBS Denver reports.
Christopher Brito contributed reporting.
