An Australian police officer has been found guilty of manslaughter in connection with the death of a 95-year-old woman whom he tasered during an incident at a nursing home.
Senior Constable Kristian White was called to the facility in May 2023 when Clare Nowland, who was showing signs of dementia, was seen wandering the halls with a steak knife.
Despite multiple requests for her to drop the knife, White used his taser, leading to Nowland falling backward and sustaining a head injury.
She died in the hospital a week later from a brain bleed. At the time of the incident, she weighed less than 50 kilograms and was described as “frail.”
After three days of deliberation, a jury found White guilty of manslaughter.
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He had pleaded not guilty, asserting that he acted to neutralize a potential threat.
The police department has denied allegations of attempting to downplay the incident by removing references to the taser from initial reports.
