Two former Colorado police officers charged for arresting 73-year-old woman with dementia over $14 Walmart ‘theft’

Two former Colorado police officers have been charged for arresting a 73-year-old woman with dementia last year for leaving a Walmart store without paying for an item.

Former Loveland police department officers Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali arrested and booked Karen Garner as she exited a local Walmart after failing to pay for about $14 worth of merchandise.

The body camera footage of Mr Hopp shows him catching up to Ms Garner as she walked through a field after leaving the store. As she turned away from him, he can be seen quickly grabbing her arm and pushing her to the ground.

“I don’t think you want to play it this way,” he says in the video. “You just left Walmart. Do you need to be arrested right now?” Mr Hopp asks. Ms Garner can be heard repeatedly stating, “I’m going home,” as she tries to get up but Mr Hopp forces her back down and cuffs her left hand.

Ms Garner, who according to her lawyers is a 5-foot-tall woman and weighs 36 kilograms, suffered a dislocated shoulder from this incident.

Mr Hopp is now charged with two felonies — a second-degree assault and attempts to influence a public servant. Mr Jalali is facing charges of failing to report a use of force, failing to intervene and official misconduct.

“While peace officers are permitted to use reasonable force to effect an arrest, the investigation, in this case, showed that Austin Hopp used excessive force in the arrest of Ms Garner that resulted in serious bodily injury to Ms Garner,” District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin said at a news conference Wednesday, the Denver Post reported.

“Further, the investigation showed that Daria Jalali, having witnessed that excessive force, failed to live up to her duties under the law and as a sworn peace officer to either intervene or report that conduct,” he said.

These two officers were among three who resigned last month after a federal lawsuit filed by Ms Garner’s family. The lawsuit said Ms Garner moved out of the Walmart with “a Pepsi, a candy bar, a t-shirt, and some Shout Wipe refills” and had forgotten to pay.

The incident triggered anger in the community and comes amidst increased discussions over excessive use of force by the police.