Police have confirmed an investigation is underway after a 95-year-old woman was tasered at her Yallambee Lodge nursing home in Cooma on Wednesday.
Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother suffering with dementia, was believed to be carrying a knife when the nursing home’s staff called for police assistance.
At a press conference on Friday, Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter revealed the shocking details leading up to Ms Nowland being tasered by an officer.
“She was in a room she did have a knife in her hand, and it is fair to say that she was armed with that knife,” he said.
“Negotiations commenced with Clare to essentially drop the knife [and] for whatever reasons, Clare did not do that.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The New South Wales Briefing – keeping you in the loop with news as it hits:
“One of the police officers who responded, a senior constable, activated his taser which struck Clare whereby she fell to the ground striking her head.
“Medical care and attention were delivered to Clare by the nursing staff, the paramedics and also the officers involved [and] as a result of that injury to her head, she was taken to the Cooma District Hospital which is where she remains today.”
Ms Nowland’s close family are with her by her bedside and have asked for media to respect their privacy. They have also declined to comment on the incident.
Assistant Commissioner Cotter said it was “equally fair to say she is in a state of ill health,” however the injury sustained to her head had caused her to be bedridden.
A critical incident team is investigating the incident and it will be subject to an independent review.
Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on Listnr today. The Briefing serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.