Colorado cops brutally arrest Karen Garner, 73, who has dementia, for (probably inadvertent) shoplifting
Loveland Police Department, via The Life & Liberty Law Office.
This morning, Peter sent me a Washington Post article telling about the arrest of Karen Garner, a woman with dementia who is about my age. She left a Walmart without paying for items worth $13.88. Thinking about my inadvertent shoplifting episodes over the past years, Peter said, “My heart went cold when I saw this. It could have been you.”
Karen Garner weighs about 80 pounds. She was walking home, stopping to pick wild flowers, when the cops pulled up beside her. She was unable to understand the police officers’ commands: according to her family, her dementia—of which sensory aphasia is a symptom—left her unable to understand speech or to communicate easily. The photo at the top shows her still clinging to the wildflowers after she had been thrown to the ground. Karen’s arm was broken and her shoulder dislocated during the arrest. Back at the police station, she was held for six hours without medical care while the arresting cops laughed, whooped, and fist-bumped while watching the body cam footage of her arrest.
After reading the articles and watching the videos, I know it could have been worse: like me, Karen Garner is a white woman. It’s hard to imagine that the outcome would not have been even more horrific had she been a woman—or man—of color.
Click here to see a video from CNN of the police officers watching the body cam footage.
April 28, 2021 @ 8:59 am
Absolutely sickening. Horrendously, chillingly inhumane behavior and sadly, far too common in policing today. It was interesting to see the female cop, who was clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing, just “shuck off” her own reaction and go along with the good ol’ boys, obviously in an attempt to be accepted as one of them. They should all be fired and prosecuted without delay.
April 28, 2021 @ 9:59 am
Dearest Mary, I agree with you about the sad situation where the woman cop was unable to stand up for decency because of wanting to be accepted. It’s really such a very sad state of affairs–not only this assault, but those with the outcome of death that we see on the news every day, predominantly against people of color. Police brutality and racism is probably the worst of the several let’s-stop-the-world-and-start-over issues that cringe my heart this past year–as I know it is for you too. Thinking of you–time to talk properly again soon. Love you.
April 29, 2021 @ 7:37 am
Indeed, it is! We miss you both terribly! We have much to catch up on. David may be coming out for a visit in the next few weeks, depending on the happenings here. Let’s set up a zoom chat soon! I love you back.