A former police officer in Loveland, Colorado who was immediately arrested following the violent arrest of a white 73-year-old woman with dementia. Immediately after the video was released, there was a national outrage, CBS Denver reports. Austin Hopp pleaded guilty Wednesday to an assault charge that’s punishable by 2 to 8 years in prison, avoiding the 10 to 30 years he could have faced had he been convicted at trial, the outlet said.
White police officer reaches plea deal in the arrest of a 73-year-old woman; Did the race of the victim as a white woman play a role in the arrest and trial of the police?
The June 2020 incident began after Karen Garner allegedly took about $15 worth of items from a Walmart, which she returned after being stopped by store workers. She then exited the store.
Many experts now believe that this case once again reveals the hypocrisy and double standard in the US criminal justice system. In this case, the victim of police assault was a white woman, and there was little or no delay in the arrest of the white police officer. The police union did not even issue any statement in support of the officer. In contrast to other police assaults against African American men, women, and children.
Garner’s family released the video of the incident and filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over her arrest in April 2021, prompting a district attorney to call for a criminal review. Soon after, the family’s attorney also released video footage showing officers laughing at a video of the arrest and appearing to show they knew she was injured.
“Ready for the pop?” Hopp said in the second video, referring to the moment they appeared to dislocate her shoulder. “Hear the pop?”
When another officer asked Hopp what had popped, he said, “I think it was her shoulder.”
Days later, three of the officers involved — including Hopp — resigned. In May, he was charged with second-degree assault, attempting to influence a public servant, and official misconduct. Another officer was charged with failing to report the use of force, failing to intervene, and official misconduct.
The city reached a $3 million settlement with Garner’s family in September 2021.
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