Austin Hopp, cop who violently arrested dementia patient in 2020 and laughed, takes plea deal

[Demovictory9]

A former Loveland police officer accused of injuring an elderly woman during an arrest in 2020 has accepted a plea deal from the Larimer County district attorney.

Austin Hopp arrested Karen Garner, who suffers from dementia, near a Loveland Walmart in June 2020. Workers had called police to report that Garner left the store without paying for some small items, and officers approached her as she picked flowers along the side of a nearby road.

Garner suffered a dislocated shoulder, a broken arm and bruises while being forced to the ground. Officers were later recorded laughing at her injuries. According to her family, she now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Loveland Police Sergeant Involved In Forceful Arrest Of 73-Year-Old Woman With Dementia Resigns
Hopp appeared in Larimer County Court Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge that can carry 2 to 8 years in prison. That would be a significantly shorter sentence than the 10 to 30-plus years he could have faced if found guilty of his additional charges, which include official misconduct.

Garner’s family did not approve of District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin’s decision to offer a plea deal.

https://www.cpr.org/2022/03/02/former-loveland-police-officer-pleads-guilty-to-assaulting-dementia-patient-karen-garner/

[hlthe2b]

1. Thank heavens for the community outrage this case incited--from Fort Collins to Denver

When it finally came out, the video of the cops in the station laughing at her suffering, untreated in the cell clinched it. I appreciate how the family feels, but frankly, I am just relieved he is getting ANY time, given the many cases of similar police abuse nationwide. Still, Loveland is a smallish community and such blatant abuse of a defenseless elderly demented woman was pretty shocking.

[multigraincracker]

2. As LEOs have a lot of power, they should be held to a higher acount.

This DA should be voted out of office. DAs and cops work together and give each other A "Professional courtesy" all of the time, just like that DA will expect to never get a ticket from a cop. That is a violation of the 14th Amendment. Both the cop and the DA swore to uphold the Constitution.

[benfranklin1776]

3. I hope the sick sociopathic bastard gets the max of eight years.

Anything less is an affront to basic principles of humanity and decency, as what he did to that poor woman was a sick act of subhuman savagery 🤬He is a menace to society, which needs protection from him. 😡

[twodogsbarking]

4. I am not a violent person but I wish

him nothing good.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. I remember the news stories posted on DU about this last year

When city was sued - https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215338507

When the videos of the incidents were released -

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142735027
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016292318
and that included one you did - https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215388507

When the cops were charged - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142746187
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142746718

Civil case settled - https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215836078

They all need jail time.

I think many recall this incident in Buffalo where a 75 year old was shoved and fell backwards onto a sidewalk resulting in him bleeding from the head while one cop attempted to check on him and another pushed him away -

A grand jury refused to indict the cops despite the fact that the man suffered a fractured skull and he filed suit.

This is one of the biggest issues being pushed within the "criminal justice reform" movement - particularly regarding those who have physical disabilities (including ailments like dementia, intellectual impairment, or deafness) or those with mental health issues (where both those categories mean they won't or can't "immediately comply with orders" as some here demand that people "better do" as their justification for the harsh treatment ), and how there is a complete lack of training of LEO for how to handle these instances

Here in Philly, they have created a Crisis Intervention unit where if this sort of circumstance is suspected, they will work with the 911 dispatchers and officers to decide whether to send out a mental health professional with the officers to attempt to assess the situation and de-escalate when possible. This is instead of pumping over a dozen of bullets into a "non-compliant" mentally ill suspect or violently handling one like was done with this woman.

All within the PD are also being trained to recognize the possible need for alternate handling so that when some frantic person calls 911 yelling that their loved one is "having an episode" or "is 'mental'", they understand what that means.

[Demovictory9]

9. thanks for all the background stuff.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. You're welcome

This whole incident was sickening.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. FTP.

[Demovictory9]

8. and the fist bumpers hooked up after. He left his wife to be with this partner in abuse