Loveland Police Department (LPD) Officer Austin Hopp threw 73-year-old Karen Garner to the ground in June of 2020, fracturing her arm and dislocating her shoulder after she allegedly stole. Crews are responding to a report of a structure fire in Loveland As the officers watched the bodycam footage that showed Hopp holding Garner against a patrol car, Hopp said, "Ready for the pop?" Detectives with the Fort Collins Police Department led the investigation and reviewed videos, phone calls and hundreds of pages of reports, and interviewed more than 20 people, Fort Collins police Chief Jeff Swoboda said. Loveland, Colorado, police officers watch body camera footage of Karen Garner's arrest. After serving on the LPD for nearly six years, Bob Ticer is leaving to take the position as chief of the Prescott Valley Police Department in Arizona. Both Hopp and Jalali worked in previous law enforcement jobs before joining the Loveland Police Department. We have elected each of you to serve us. Garner's daughter, Allisa Swartz, spoke about the arrest with 9Wants to Know reporter Matt Jablow. Plus, his attorneys allege the records technician testified that she, not Ashe, ran the search and that the policy surrounding what involves running a query of records is ambiguous. "I fully support these charges, Loveland Police Chief Robert Ticer repeated twice during a press conference on Wednesday. The lawsuit claims Ashe was fired because he was not an employee of the Police Department who has been trained in the use of the records management system and therefore was not authorized to query this information.. During an open public comment period, callers who spoke on the issue were unilaterally critical of the police department. Bodycam footage shows Loveland officers save unconscious woman from McLaughlin says there is no set timeframe to complete the investigation, but it is a priority for his office. appreciated. Ticer did not confirm whether the three were fired or resigned. Former Loveland Police officers Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali are facing multiple criminal counts for their actions. I will consider those statements along with all relevant evidence compiled by the (Critical Incident Response Team) in making a charging decision.. Neither Hopp, Jalali or Blackett made any attempt to provide Garner medical care after learning of the pop as described by Hopp to them and after Garner repeated approximately 22 times in their respective presence that her shoulder hurt, the affidavit states. Garner never returned to normal after the arrest and has become largely non-communicative, her family says. Two former Loveland police officers will face criminal charges for violently arresting a 73-year-old woman with dementia and lying about or failing to report the womans injuries, which included a broken arm and a dislocated shoulder. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the LPD Hiring Disqualifier Policy and other requirements prior to submitting an application. Austin Hopp, 26, pleaded not guilty to all three charges in connection with the arrest of now 74-year-old Karen Garner who has dementia in June 2020. "What you saw on the video was not the Loveland Police Department. McLaughlin said in the statement that he will consider the officers' comments about the arrest, along with other evidence, in making his charging decision. Metzler remains at the department on paid administrative leave and prosecutors did not charge him criminally. Since learning of the lawsuit and allegations in it earlier this month, LPD said they'd begun an investigation that will include "an examination of all images, documents and records" compiled in connection with the incident. The LPD officers on administrative leave include: Schielke alleges the video shows the three arresting officers watching body camera video of Garner's arrest, laughing and celebrating the excessive force, and fist-bumping the fact that one of the officers intimidated a citizen who stopped to make a complaint. The city of Loveland has. the violent arrest of a 73-year-old woman. One of the officers, Austin Hoppis facing felony assault and other charges, which a possible plea deal is being negotiated and the family is rejecting. The outside group or groups that will help the city in those investigations have not yet been finalized, Ticer said. LOVELAND, Ohio . Garners family in a statement through their attorney said Ticer's comments Friday were "endeavoring to protect only himself and the reputation of the LPD. The statements on the videos are very concerning, said District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin. Jalali then arrives on scene. Body camera video shows police force 78-year-old woman with dementia to ground, arrest and booking of a 73-year-old woman with dementia, Video appears to show Colorado officers laughing after arresting 73-year-old with dementia. Garner's attorney released a video that she said shows the officers knew of her injuries and neglected to provide her with medical attention. The city of Loveland declined to comment for this article because of the pending litigation. The case was later dismissed. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Garner, who lives with dementia, allegedly tried to steal less than $15 worth of goods from Walmart. This philosophy allowed our agency, working together with the community, to significantly decrease crimes and traffic crashes in Loveland, which was a top priority. Hopp tells Jalali to help him get Garner on the ground and then he hogties her and forces her into the back of a police car. "The Loveland Police Department is comprised of men and women that are out there taking calls for service right now, that are working very hard and honoring the community and servicing with integrity and value and being trustworthy.". The statement you made was very, I dont know, eloquent, but it did not bring out anything thats going to help our citizens understand whats going on, he added. Phil Metzler, knew about the forceful arrest because he responded to the scene. You can see in the video how theyre laughing at my mom, Swartz said, according to the AP. suggesting he was aware that he had injured her. Those officers no longer work for the department and their sergeant resigned but Ticer remained in place until now. While Lovelands Police Department said Monday that it would not comment on new footage released by Garners attorney, City Manager Steve Adams opened the meeting by sharing his own concerns about the video that shows arresting officer Austin Hopp and others in the police department laughing and joking about the arrest of the 73-year-old with dementia. The Town of Prescott Valley community relations coordinator told FOX31, During every step of the extensive interview and hiring process, Chief Ticer was forthcoming and fully disclosed everything that happened regarding this incident. Jared Polis signed a sweeping police reform bill into law. I want to extend my deep appreciation to Chief Ticer for his nearly six years of leadership, stewardship, and vision for Loveland. Police were called and the arrest left Garner with multiple injuries, including a broken humerus, a dislocated shoulder and a sprained wrist, according to the lawsuit. The video shows both officers struggling with Garner. Karen Garner suffered from a broken arm, sprained wrist and separated shoulder during her June 2020 arrest by Hopp. The city of Loveland has not filed a response in court, and City Attorney Moses Garcia said he could not comment on pending litigation. Surveillance video from a police station released Monday by Garner's lawyer shows Hopp, Jalali and Blackett watching Hopp's body camera footage as Garner is handcuffed to a bench in a holding cell a few feet away. Body camera footage from Hopp showed him approaching Garner as she walked home. In the video, Hopp gives Jalali a fist bump when asked how the arrest went. Previously, the Loveland Police Department had said one officer was placed on leave and two others were reassigned to administrative duties. In his use-of-force report filed after the arrest, Hopp said Garner was asked several times if she wanted medical attention and she either would not answer or start(ed) talking about something else, Hopps arrest affidavit states. A former Loveland police officer says he was wrongfully fired in October and is asking a jury to overturn the decision and award him back pay, according to a lawsuit filed in December. Loveland Colorado Police DUI Scheme Lawsuit Update | Westword experienced, we hope that this sentence can bring some measure of justice to her and her family.". The Loveland Emergency Communications Center (LECC) is a 24-hour, 365 day/year operation, serving as the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) answering all 911 calls over 260 square miles of southern Larimer County, as well as non-emergent calls to Loveland Police Department. They resigned," Garner's attorney, Schielke said in a statement later Friday. The news comes a day after Garner's attorney released a video that she said shows the officers knew of her injuries and neglected to provide her with medical attention. Loveland Police Department is an equal opportunity employer. he asks. Councilor Dave Clark said he trusted Adams office to disclose information as soon as possible. During most of the meeting, the police department shared details about its co-responder program, which began in 2016. She covers education, county government, environmental issues, outdoor recreation and whatever else she finds along the way. Three police officers involved in the rough arrest of a 73-year-old Colorado woman with dementia have resigned, officials said Friday. Use caution in this area. Philip Metzler. The officer in the frame is Jalali who tells Garner to "Quit it" as she pulls her arm behind her back. "Hear the pop?". Garners family wants him to be fired and criminally charged and for the police chief to resign, Schielke said. The arrest, captured on an officers body camera, repeatedly shows Garner saying, Im going home, to the arresting officer. The body camera video shows Hopp ask Garner to stop. In a statement, Schielke said the new video evidence reveals an LPD sergeant knew Garner was injured and authorized the two other officers to keep her in a cell without medical evaluation or treatment. Ashe filed a lawsuit in 8th Judicial District Court against the city of Loveland in December, alleging that he should not have been fired and asking for his job back. RELATED: Larimer DA announces independent investigation after forcible arrest of 73-year-old woman. Viewed separately, the body camera footage shows Hopp holding the handcuffed Garner facing away from him against the car. We are angry. He was previously named in a separate excessive force lawsuit that resulted in a $290,000 settlement by the city in January 2021. He also said the department will review its paid leave policy in the case of extenuating circumstances., While he acknowledged that the steps were not a final solution, he said the steps he listed are only immediate actions we are taking to restore our public trust in our city.. Ex-Loveland police officer pleads not guilty to charges in Karen Garner Tom Hacker, a spokesperson for LPD, said Blackett was at the booking location where Garner was transported after her arrest and also engaged in the transfer of Garner to the Larimer County Jail. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Garner was wrestled to the ground within 30 seconds of a police officer exiting his patrol car. Judge Joseph Dean Findley has a review of the lawsuit scheduled for 7 a.m. Feb. 25. The former officer appealed his termination to the City Managers Office, and Assistant City Manager Rod Wensing, in a Nov. 12 written order, upheld Ticers decision. During a Nov. 12 hearing on Ashes termination, a records division technician testified that she spoke with Ashe about that records search when he went to the records division July 7, and she did the search herself. We demand swift action now, he added. Karen Garner suffered a dislocated shoulder, fractured arm and sprained wrist after she was slammed to the ground and hogtied during a June 26 arrest . The city attorney will review all use-of-force cases in the future, he said. RELATED: Loveland Police to require training by Alzheimer's Association after excessive force allegation, SUGGESTED VIDEOS:Investigations from 9Wants to Know. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Jalali, who recently arrived, said, "Stand up! LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) - Nearly two years after allegedly breaking the arm of an elderly woman living with dementia during a controversial arrest, former Loveland Police Officer Austin Hopp. I just want justice for my mom.. The city of Loveland and Loveland Police Department settled the lawsuit with Sowl in January for nearly $300,000. > Below: Body camera footage shows the arrest of the 73-year-old. Ticer, he alleges, did neither. ", Jalali appeared to ruefully brush off the dustup: "A little muddy, a little bloody, that's how it works.". More:Loveland police buy new body cameras, Tasers to enhance de-escalation, transparency efforts. When confronted by Walmart staff she returned the items and walked out of the store. A former Loveland police officer says he was wrongfully fired in October and is asking a jury to overturn the decision and award him back pay, according to a lawsuit filed in December. Garners family released a statement Tuesday saying they were devastated because Garner is a human being that was treated by Loveland police like an animal., We are physically sickened. / CBS Colorado. Alert Desk Curator. Most of the departments officers have completed Alzheimers awareness training since the lawsuit was filed and the department also will do more de-escalation training, the chief said. Three Colorado police officers no longer employed after arrest of 73 Loveland Police Department | City of Loveland - Loveland, Colorado Jalali, Hopp and Community Service Officer Tyler Blackett resigned from the department April 30, two weeks after Garners family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over the arrest. These opportunities and partnerships provided a mechanism to put more police officers into our schools to protect our children and staff. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Sady Swanson covers public safety, criminal justice, Larimer County governmentand more throughout Northern Colorado. ", "He said that our mothers case has 'hurt him personally,'" the family statement said. Loveland Police chief resigns amid controversial time - FOX31 Denver The lawsuit alleges he was fired on Oct. 1, and that his termination was upheld in November. During the press conference, Ticer didn't specify whether the officers resigned or were fired. Why are only two officers charged?. His reported romantic interest and fellow former officer Jalali who assisted Hopp to cuff 73-year-old Karen Garner - was charged with failing to report use of force, failing to intervene and official misconduct, the Associated Press reported. The excessive force lawsuit detailed how the aggressive conduct seen on the bodycam video from the June 26, 2020 arrest caused Garner to suffer a fractured upper arm and dislocated shoulder along with other injuries. Austin Hopp Daria. On Wednesday, Justine Bruno with the Loveland City Managers Office told CNN that Jalali along with officers Tyler Blackett and Philip Metzler were placed on administrative leave. Adams declined to respond to Molloys criticisms. Karen Garner arrest: Video shows Colorado police officers - CNN "Seeing horrible things that people do to each other every day really plays a part in that disconnect, and when that disconnect really happens, [that video is] what it looks like," Fanning told 9NEWS. Some of the officers named in the lawsuit have also retained the Fraternal Order of Police for additional legal representation, she said. Garners family felt relief that Hopp and Jalali are being prosecuted, but still want to see harsher charges for the two former officers as well as charges filed against other officers involved in the arrest, attorney Sarah Schielke said at a news conference. 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. Her lawyer, Sarah Schielke, said the officers dislocated Garner's shoulder, broke a bone in her arm and sprained her wrist. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Hopp worked for the Nacogdoches Police Department in Texas and at the Monroe County Sheriffs Office in Florida, according to records obtained by The Denver Post through a records request. Applications are accepted whenever there is an active job announcement posted. Loveland, Colo., Police Department body-camera video from June 26, 2020, shows the violent arrest of Karen Garner, a 73-year-old with dementia. The assault and attempt to influence a public servant are felony charges and the official misconduct charge is a misdemeanor. Loveland places 4 police officers on leave over violent arrest of 73 For that I am most grateful and proud of. The suit claims that Ashe was fired on that day for asking a records technician to do a search of reports involving Sgt. The citys human resources department and an outside group will conduct an internal investigation into the incident and decide whether more officers should be disciplined. That is when Hopp is seen grabbing Garner by the arm and forcefully taking her to the ground. While city officials did not immediately respond to questions about the lawsuit, Human Resources Director Julia Holland confirmed in October that Ashe was on unpaid administrative leave as a result of an independent investigation into the departments policies and practices tied to the arrest of Karen Garner in 2020. Karen Garner suffered a dislocated shoulder, fractured arm and sprained wrist after officers with the Loveland Police Department slammed her to the ground and hog-tied her June 26, 2020,. According to the lawsuit, Garner spent two hours inside an LPD jail cell and an additional three hours inside a cell at the Larimer County Jail. He said that the same administrative policies that all officers are required to follow require Ticer to issue a final written warning and said the department head, in this case the chief, shall consult with human resources on any such decision. Prosecutors with the Eighth Judicial District Attorneys Office on Wednesday filed charges against Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali, the officers who violently arrested Karen Garner in June after receiving a report that she tried to walk out of a Walmart with $13 of merchandise. The city said Ashe violated three department policies and procedures:. A Warner Bros. While this will not change the terrible treatment Ms. Garner "A little bloody. Discovery Company. After keeping her pinned down, Hopp appears to announce for purposes of documenting the bodycam evidence: "After a short struggle, she is now detained. Ashe claims the term "query" is not defined and vague in the department's policy, and is "susceptible to more than one meaning. The results of the independent assessment were released publicly and presented to the city council in January. It is a crime to help other people commit crimes, she said. This footage has been edited by the law firm representing Garner. According to LPD, the incident took place on June 26, 2020, but police said until this month; they had not received a complaint regarding "serious injuries" to Garner. While councilor John Fogle asked Adams whether the city could share a timeframe of when more information would be released, Adams said the city wants to communicate more frequently but is limited by the timeframe of Fort Collins Police Services investigation on behalf of the 8th Judicial District Attorneys Office. Fanning works in part with police departments, 911 call operators and officers who have been subjected to trauma. Former Loveland police officer Austin Hopp enters the courtroom for his preliminary hearing Thursday, August 19, 2021, at the Larimer County Justice Center. May 5, 2022 / 4:00 PM Were going to get informed as quickly as we can, and so is the community, he said. It hurt to see that," he added. Some residents call for Loveland police chief's resignation - KUSA.com The charges for former officers Austin Hopp, 26, and Daria Jalali, 27, come after the 8th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) completed its review of the violent arrest of Garner, who has dementia. She is no longer the happy woman collecting flowers that can be seen in the first seconds of Hopps body camera footage and is now fearful of everyone even her family. LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) - Nearly two years after allegedly breaking the arm of an elderly woman living with dementia during a controversial arrest, former Loveland Police Officer Austin Hopp was sentenced to five years in prison as part of a plea agreement to lessen his jail sentence. Colorado Cop Breaks Arm of Elderly Lady With Dementia in - Newsweek Police Broke This 73-Year-Old Woman's Arm During a Brutal Arrest. The An innocent, elderly, disabled and severely injured resident of the United States of America was left handcuffed to a bench in a holding cell while the arresting officers laughed, joked and gloated about the arrest while watching their own body camera footage, Ritter said, and questioned how the incident was handled internally. During this period of time we were able to accomplish many projects such as the building of the Northern Colorado Regional Law Enforcement Training Center and completion of the Combined Regional Information Systems Project (CRISP), both of which support community safety for our officers and the public. ", More:Fort Collins man sues Loveland police officer, alleges wrongful DUI arrest. Show Transcript. The results of the independent assessment were released publicly and presented to the city council in January. Ticer said there will be an internal affairs investigation handled by the city's human resources director. Hopp the first officer to arrive on scene faces charges of second-degree assault, attempt to influence a public servant and official misconduct, court records show. Garners daughter, Allisa Swartz appeared at a press conference and spoke about the cruelty the cops showed when the recording of them mocking her mom who was in agonizing pain. Phil Metzler and Daria Jalali. Hopp tells the sergeant the blood is Garner's. Max Levy has covered city government for the Loveland Reporter-Herald, joining the staff in 2019. "It's a really important thing for everyone to know that this is now a criminal investigation," said Hacker. The charges were filed on Wednesday against former Loveland Police Department officers Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali, who arrested and booked Karen Garner as she was walking home from a. 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