A 95-yr-old grandmother has died in her care home a week after an Australian police officer tasered her, police said.
Clare Nowland has been in a critical condition in hospital since she was tasered on May 17 in an incident that shocked Australians and made international headlines.
“It is with great sadness we confirm the passing of 95-year-old Clare Nowland in Cooma tonight,” New South Wales state police said in a statement, reports RTE.
She died “peacefully” at the hospital surrounded by her family and relatives.
According to police, Ms Nowland had 24 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.
Hours earlier, a 33-year-old senior police officer was charged with negligent aggravated assault, actual assault and aggravated assault.
The suspended police officer will appear in court on July 5.
Police Commissioner Karen Webb said Miss Nowland’s family had been informed of the “serious charges” and thanked investigators for their swift work following the “nasty incident”.
Officers were called to the Yallambee Lodge care home in southern New South Wales by staff who told them a woman was “armed with a knife”, reports RTE.
Police said they prompted Ms Nowland to drop a serrated steak knife before “at a slow pace” towards her with her walker, prompting an officer to taser her.
The incident prompted calls for a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry and the release of police body camera video of the altercation.
“The tasering of Ms Nowland has sparked a community outrage that shows how desperately we need police reform,” state Greens MP Sue Higginson said, reports RTE.
“The refusal to release the bodycam footage protects NSW Police from public scrutiny for all the wrong reasons – the NSW community has a right to know exactly what happened when Clare Nowland was tasered so we can start to take the steps needed for change,” reports RTE.
Police said they do not plan to release police body-cam of the tasering incident.
“We don’t intend to release it unless there is a process at the end of this that would allow it to be released,” the state police commissioner said on weekend, reports RTE.
Ms Webb stated that at the time she had only heard the voice recording: “I don’t see it necessary that I actually view it,” reports RTE.
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