Ex-officer sentenced to five years in jail for violent arrest of 73-year-old girl

Almost two years after violently arresting a 73-year-old girl with dementia, former Colorado police officer Austin Hopp was sentenced to 5 years in prison on Thursday as a 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 jail. That prevented the minimum 10 to 30 or more years in jail he would have faced with a trial and conviction.

Hopp first encountered Garner after being dispatched to a report of an tried theft at a Loveland Walmart, in keeping with CBS Denver. Garner, who has dementia, allegedly tried to steal less than $15 value of goods from the shop. When confronted by Walmart employees, she returned the objects and walked out of the shop.

Physique digital camera footage from Hopp showed the officer approaching Garner as she walked house. Carrying a wildflower in her hand, she failed to comply with 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 back and up close to her shoulder blades, CBS Denver mentioned. An audible pop is heard on the digicam, one thing Hopp acknowledged hearing in footage later launched by Loveland police.

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

After a short investigation, Hopp resigned from the Loveland Police Division, as did Jalali. Both were arrested and charged with crimes related to Garner's arrest.

As first reported by CBS Denver, the Larimer County District Lawyer's Office elected to move forward with a plea settlement towards the need of the Garner family. The family felt the video in the case proved Hopp was responsible on all counts beyond an affordable doubt.