A 33-year-old Australian police officer, Kristian White, has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly tasering a 95-year-old woman with dementia in a nursing home. The incident occurred in Cooma, New South Wales, in May, when police were called to the home by care home staff who reported a resident armed with a knife. Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother, died in the hospital one week later.
According to court documents, when staff at the nursing home tried to persuade Nowland to hand over the knives she was holding, she threw one at them. White and another officer, accompanied by ambulance staff, found Nowland in a room holding one of the knives. The other officer attempted to grab the knife, but Nowland allegedly moved towards them with her walker.
White then allegedly activated his taser and warned Nowland to drop the knife. When she raised her hand holding the knife to chest height, he struck her with the taser in the chest area. As a result, Nowland fell and hit her head, fracturing her skull.
Initially, White was charged with multiple offenses, including recklessly causing grievous bodily harm and assault. However, following advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, an additional charge of manslaughter has been laid against him by the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad.
White, who has been suspended from his role with pay, is scheduled to appear in court on December 6. He has yet to enter a plea.