A 95-year-old Australian woman has died a week after a police officer shot her with a stun gun at a care home as she approached him with a walker and a steak knife – a tragedy that has outraged many Australians
May 24, 2023 6:10 am ET
• 2 min reading
CANBERRA, Australia – A 95-year-old Australian woman died on Wednesday, a week after a police officer shot her with a stun gun at a nursing home when she approached him with a walker and a steak knife, which has outraged many Australians.
Clare Nowland, who suffered from dementia, was hospitalized in Cooma, New South Wales, after her skull was fractured when she fell on May 17 after Constable Kristian White shocked her with a stun gun.
Police announced Nowland’s death after reporting that White had been sentenced to appear in court on July 5 for negligent aggravated assault, assault with actual assault and aggravated assault. After her death, the charges are likely to be escalated.
White and another police officer had gone to Yallambee Lodge, a care home in Cooma that specializes in residents with higher care needs, including dementia, after staff reported that Nowland had taken a serrated steak knife from the kitchen.
The violence against an elderly and disabled woman has sparked a national debate about the use of stun guns by police in such circumstances and the competence of aged care staff. If there is a danger to life, the police are allowed to use stun guns.
A coroner will determine the cause of death. Police say her injuries were the result of a fall to the ground, not the electrical charge from the Taser-brand stun gun.
White has been under police investigation since the incident and has been suspended from duty on pay since Tuesday.
White and his police partner that day have images of the incident from their body cameras, but police refused to release them.
The government elected a year ago is increasing funding for elderly care.