Former Colorado police officer Austin Hopp has been sentenced to five years in prison, after violently arresting a 73-year-old woman.
Bodycam footage from the incident shows Hopp violently arresting Karen Garner, an elderly woman with dementia, who was said to have fractured her arm during the incident.
On Thursday, 5 May, Hopp was sentenced by Larimer County District Judge Michelle Brinegar after pleading guilty to a second-degree assault charge.
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The violent arrest occurred on 26 June 2020, after employees at a local Walmart alerted authorities to Garner, who was said to have stolen $14 worth of goods.
Employees recovered the goods and Garner left the store.
As she wandered home, the dazed woman was strolling through a field, when Hopp approached her.
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Garner tried to walk away as the former police officer approached her, at which point Hopp said: "I don't think you want to play it this way."
As the incident unfolded, Hopp was seen forcefully pulling Garner's arms back, as she exclaimed that she was just 'going home'.
Officers taunted Garner later in the footage, calling her 'ancient' and 'senile'.
While the officers later said it 'went great' and that they had 'crushed it' in reference to the arrest, there was a huge public outcry following release of the footage, in April 2021.
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Shortly after, Hopp was suspended from his role and in May was arrested, as The Washington Post reports.
Now, the ex-police officer has been sentenced, with Judge Brinegar saying: "This case is not about a mistake.
"This [case is] about a young officer who used his position of power and authority to show off his toughness, disregarded any sense of humanity and showed an alarming deal of criminal thinking."
Garner's family won a $3 million settlement in September 2021 after suing the city of Loveland and a number of police officers, and received a public apology from the city.
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"The settlement with Karen Garner will help bring some closure to an unfortunate event in our community but does not upend the work we have left to do. We extend a deep and heartfelt apology to Karen Garner and her family for what they have endured as a result of this arrest," said Loveland City Manager Steve Adams.
However, the incident took a toll on Garner's health, with the woman who suffers from dementia now having PTSD as a result of the incident.
Hopp said that he was 'truly ashamed' of his actions.
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Shola Lee