Ex-officer sentenced to 5 years in jail for violent arrest of 73-year-old lady

Almost two years after violently arresting a 73-year-old woman with dementia, former Colorado police officer Austin Hopp was sentenced to 5 years in jail on Thursday as part of a plea agreement to reduce 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 in early March, Hopp pleaded guilty to an assault cost that was punishable by 2 to 8 years in prison. That avoided the minimal 10 to 30 or more years in prison 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 accordance with CBS Denver. Garner, who has dementia, allegedly tried to steal lower than $15 value of products from the shop. When confronted by Walmart workers, she returned the objects and walked out of the shop.

Physique digicam footage from Hopp confirmed the officer approaching Garner as she walked house. Carrying a wildflower in her hand, she did not adjust to a number of orders to stop. 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 close to her shoulder blades, CBS Denver mentioned. An audible pop is heard on the digicam, something Hopp acknowledged hearing in footage later released by Loveland police.

Garner was taken to a holding facility at the Loveland Police Division, where she complained multiple times about having injuries, CBS Denver reported. She was allegedly pressured to sit down in a holding cell without medical attention for hours, even after Hopp, Jalali and another employees have been heard on safety footage acknowledging that she could have injuries.

After a brief investigation, Hopp resigned from the Loveland Police Division, as did Jalali. Each had been arrested and charged with crimes related to Garner's arrest.

As first reported by CBS Denver, the Larimer County District Attorney's Office elected to move forward with a plea agreement against the desire of the Garner family. The family felt the video in the case proved Hopp was responsible on all counts past an inexpensive doubt.