The arrest of a mentally ill 73-year-old woman last summer has ended in a lawsuit.
Karen Garner, who suffers from dementia, was arrested after failing to pay for $14 worth of goods from a Wal-Mart. After returning to the counter and paying for them, she was arrested anyway.
The arrest was brutal.
The officers involved broke her arm and dislocated her shoulder in the process.
And now, the Loveland police will face a lawsuit from Garner and her attorney.
Garner was stopped by one of the officers as she walked home. After signaling she did not understand what he was saying, the officer then "violently assaulted her, twisting her arms behind her back, throwing her to the ground and handcuffing her."
Loveland attorney alleges in federal lawsuit that Loveland Police forcibly arrested 73-year old w/dementia shortly… https://t.co/XumN17WJEx— Chris Vanderveen (@Chris Vanderveen) 1618462406.0
Karen Garner weighs 80 pounds Is five feet tall. She suffered dislocated shoulder, broken bone and sprained wrist… https://t.co/0zwi5AilC5— Chris Vanderveen (@Chris Vanderveen) 1618462407.0
Arrest took place June 26, 2020— Chris Vanderveen (@Chris Vanderveen) 1618463688.0
@chrisvanderveen And they can't understand why we hate them. Why we do not trust them.— Luci-Lu Hoo (@Luci-Lu Hoo) 1618482219.0
@bradcollins53 @chrisvanderveen It’s not a slogan, it’s just a thing a lot of people want.— Jean Billy (@Jean Billy) 1618489877.0
After her arrest, another officer then "denied [Garner] access to medical care for her injuries afterward."
When she arrived at Larimer County Jail in Fort Collins, jail deputies were not given any explanation as to why Garner had "complained of pain, been involved in a severe use-of-force incident, was obviously mentally ill, and clearly needed medical evaluation before being further isolated in a cell."
@chrisvanderveen Neat. Call me crazy but there seems to be some pathology with cops that MAY be worth looking into.— Remington Flats (@Remington Flats) 1618489384.0
@chrisvanderveen And the only reason we are hearing about this is because there is a lawsuit. This happened almost… https://t.co/j9RxuFOBmj— Kristen Eller (she) (@Kristen Eller (she)) 1618497485.0
@chrisvanderveen As a speech language pathologist, I often worry about what happens when humans with communication… https://t.co/WVs1gOQchF— Kim 🇺🇸🔯🏃🏻♀️ (@Kim 🇺🇸🔯🏃🏻♀️) 1618485722.0
@chrisvanderveen Just disgusting. I could have told you her mental status was altered when I was an 18 year old CNA… https://t.co/18PBSJNUp1— Aim to Misbehave (@Aim to Misbehave) 1618464449.0
@chrisvanderveen Did this make the news when it happened? Just really surprised it’s the first I’ve heard of it.— Colo Guy (@Colo Guy) 1618496653.0
Despite this arrest happening over a year ago, Loveland Police Department spokesperson Tom Hacker said the department only learned about the excessive-force arrest on Wednesday, April 14, via a Facebook post.
@chrisvanderveen He actually had the gall to try and tell that witness she “ran from him”. You quite literally aske… https://t.co/9AWMl4nA8u— Mitch (@Mitch) 1618486145.0
@chrisvanderveen @alex_burness Police reform will have to involve not only purging the ranks of petty tyrants, but… https://t.co/i9s9eL6zEN— theuncommoner (@theuncommoner) 1618491160.0
@chrisvanderveen Anyone else notice how they all just attacked the concerned citizen? Tried to tell him he didn’t s… https://t.co/2NyedsYRjs— Mitch (@Mitch) 1618486292.0
@chrisvanderveen So sad! My mother inlaw who had dementia did the same thing when I took her shopping. I didn't kn… https://t.co/0BlchFT5WU— Little Lily (@Little Lily) 1618518609.0
@chrisvanderveen @jbouie Over a small amount of money. What the hell is wrong with these cops? It's really not nece… https://t.co/12GGWiCdht— Paca Whisperer aka Jayme (@Paca Whisperer aka Jayme) 1618495139.0
As the idea of reforming, defunding or abolishing police gains momentum, law enforcement seems to keep giving more and more examples of why it needs to happen.