Who is the cop who tasered 95-year-old great grandmother? What we know about ‘veteran’ officer who opened fire on dementia sufferer as she shuffled toward him with her walking frame – as police chief says footage of the incident is ‘confronting’
- Clare Nowland, 95, was tasered by police in Cooma, NSW
- Policeman stood down as the incident is investigated
- Bodycam footage described as ‘confronting’
- Do you know? Tips@dailymail.com
The cop who tasered a 95-year-old great-grandmother who was using a walking frame, leaving her clinging to life, is a veteran officer with more than a decade of experience.
Clare Nowland, a dementia sufferer, was tasered by the senior constable at 4am on Wednesday as she slowly approached a team of officers ‘armed’ with a steak knife at the Yallambee Lodge aged care facility near Cooma, in the NSW Snowy Mountains.
At a press conference on Friday, Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter confirmed the taser was fired once and that Ms Nowland had hit her head after falling to the ground.
The officer in question has been stood down while an investigation is underway.
Clare Nowland, who has suffered with dementia, was injured during ‘an interaction’ with officers at Yallambee Lodge near Cooma

Cops were called to the nursing home (pictured) after being told she had a kitchen knife. Ms Nowland was tasered while standing next to her walking frame

Sombre NSW assistant police commissioner Peter Cotter said the officer was a 12-year veteran of the Force and has been stood down
Asst Comm Cotter said the highest level of investigation had been launched by the NSW Homicide Squad.
He suggested Ms Nowland’s case is being treated as if she could soon be dead. A family representative told Daily Mail Australia she was receiving end of life care.
Mr Cotter said he had viewed the bodycam footage of the incident and admitted it was ‘confronting footage’ – but officers are refusing to release it.
He revealed the officer who tasered Ms Nowland was a 12-year veteran of the Force. Mr Cotter has been temporarily stood down while the incident is investigated.
He did not say when the officer will return.
‘If we are hurt or we hurt someone during the course of our duties we are always on the front foot to put out a statement,’ Mr Cotter said.
‘I cannot say whether or not this officer .. will face criminal charges. ‘We have to be very sure before we put out all the specific details.’
Mr Cotter said Ms Nowland had taken the serrated steak knife from the nursing home kitchen while wandering around the facility for a couple of hours.
‘She was approaching police but it is fair to say at a slow pace, she had a walking frame but she had a knife.’ he said.
He said she had been given clear instructions to drop the knife by police and had ‘approached the doorway’ of a small ‘medical treatment room’ when an experienced male police officer tasered her.
She was alone in a treatment when the tasering occurred.
Mrs Nowland’s family is gathered around her in the expectation that she does not have long to live.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk