What police refused to say about tasing a 95-year-old grandmother – and every Australian should be outraged: An amazing concept document shows how police deleted ALL important details from the initial press release
- NSW Police’s first draft press release is unveiled
- Clare Nowland, 95, was tasered by an officer
- She had dementia and carried a knife
Mention of a taser, a knife and the movements of a 95-year-old were removed from the initial public statement NSW Police lined up over great-grandmother’s fatal intoxication, new documents show.
Clare Nowland was tasered during a standoff with police while walking with a frame and a steak knife at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma on May 17. The mother of eight, who suffered from dementia, died in hospital a week later.
A 71-word press release, approved by Police Commissioner Karen Webb, was issued 12 hours after Ms Nowland was injured, but gave few details about her ‘interaction with the police’.
“No further details are available at this time,” it said.
But documents released under freedom of information laws show that the statement was released after police cut through a much longer draft that contained several key details, including the use of the Taser.
Clare Nowland, 95, was tasered by a NSW police officer. A draft press release from the NSW Police Media Unit included key details such as how she was tasered and carrying a knife at the time of her death, but documents obtained by AAP show they were removed
The 171-word draft, prepared by the NSW Police Media Unit, outlined how police responded at 4:15 am to reports that an elderly home resident had a knife and found a woman ‘still armed… in a small room’.
Police and paramedics tried to talk to the woman; however, all instructions were ignored,” it said.
“As she got up and walked over to officers, a taser was deployed by an officer.”
The draft stated that the woman was treated at the scene by paramedics and left room for her last hospital ailment to be included.
The published statement omitted both details and stated that her condition was being “monitored” at the hospital.
The officer position placed for review was also dropped.
Ms. Nowland was unnamed in both versions, following standard police procedure.
Police only commented publicly on the incident again after multiple media reports appeared more than 36 hours after the taser.
At an extraordinary press conference on May 19, Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter explained how Ms. Nowland had a serrated steak knife in a small treatment room when she slowly approached officers and was tasered.
“She had a walker, but she had a knife,” he said.
Ms. Webb later defended the decision not to mention the Taser in the initial press release, which she oversaw.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has admitted to overseeing the initial press release – which failed to mention the critical details
Mrs. Nowland was buried in Cooma on 13 June. The service was packed with hundreds of locals
“It was important that the family was actually made aware of the situation before we made it public,” she told Sydney radio 2GB on May 22.
“It’s much needed and I’m sure the family appreciates it now.”
She denied that the police were hiding anything and said the Nowland family deserved to hear about the incident through the police, not through media reports.
The incident sparked calls for more independent police surveillance and the release of police CCTV footage.
Federal Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells called on Ms Nowland to highlight the need for greater understanding and support for people living with dementia.
The officer who fired the stun weapon has since been suspended with pay and charged with three felonies, including reckless infliction of grievous bodily harm.
Senior Constable Kristian White, 33, will appear in court in Cooma on July 5.