A police officer received a manslaughter conviction after stunning a 95-year-old nursing home resident with a Taser.
Highlights
- After firing a Taser on 95-year-old Clare Nowland, Senior Constable Kristian White received a manslaughter conviction.
- After disobeying 21 commands, Nowland, a dementia patient, brandished a steak knife and received a Taser.
In a historic ruling, an Australian police officer was found guilty of manslaughter after shocking a 95-year-old nursing home resident to death with a Taser.
The event happened in May 2023 at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma and involved dementia-stricken great-grandmother Clare Nowland. She was brandishing a steak knife at the time and defying numerous orders to drop it.
In the trial’s video footage, White could be heard complaining before he used his Taser due to an escalation in the situation. The video revealed that White had instructed Nowland to lower her firearm at least 21 times before firing it at her.
The shock caused Nowland, who weighed around 100 pounds, to fall backward, using a walker. She died a week later in the hospital after suffering major injuries from striking her skull on the floor.
The case has sparked heated debates about police methods and the proper use of Tasers, particularly about vulnerable people.
Authorities said at the time of Nowland’s death that her fatal injuries were mostly from falling, not from the electric shock itself.
However, the events around the incident resulted in a high-level internal inquiry by the New South Wales police.
White, who was 34 at the time of the incident, stated in his training that any individual carrying a firearm poses a significant risk.
Still, the jury decided that using a Taser against a fragile old lady was an “utterly unnecessary and excessive” reaction.
The prosecution stressed that White’s behavior was out of proportion considering the circumstances.
Though White is now on bail awaiting sentence, the manslaughter accusation carries a potential punishment of 25 years in jail in New South Wales.
The case raises concerns about police responsibility, particularly when dealing with sensitive groups, prompting the community to consider the potential consequences.
Her family remembers Clare Nowland kindly because she left behind eight children, 24 grandkids, and 31 great-grandchildren.
Her death has not only affected her family but also spurred a larger debate in Australian society about the treatment of elderly people in care facilities, the proper application of law enforcement’s force, and the need for more compassionate approaches when handling people in suffering.
This instance reminds us of the difficulties in policing and the pressing necessity of change in how officials interact with people who could be experiencing mental health issues or are in vulnerable circumstances as the discussion progresses.
The larger consequences of this decision might open the path for legislative reforms that give the dignity and safety of every person first priority, regardless of their situation.