Before fatally tasering a 95-year-old dementia patient, a police officer allegedly lit up his stun gun to warn her and said "see you are going to get tased".
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A NSW Police statement of facts against Senior Constable Kristian White was released on Wednesday, shedding further light on the May incident that sparked national outrage and close scrutiny of the state police force and its minister.
White,33, is facing several charges and is suspended with pay after tasering Cooma great-grandmother Clare Nowland in her aged care home in southern NSW on May 17.
Mrs Nowland, who was diagnosed with dementia, died of injuries sustained in the incident.
The facts sheet alleges Mrs Nowland was repeatedly asked by staff, paramedics and police to put down a serrated knife but said "no" or did not respond.
To one demand, the 95-year-old put down a small torch she was also holding.
White's colleague attempted to get close enough to take the knife from Mrs Nowland's hand but the elderly woman then raised it to chest height, causing a retreat.
That officer soon after placed her foot against Mrs Nowland's walker, stopping her slow movement out of a treatment room.
White, with Taser drawn, told the grandmother: "Clare, stop now, see this, this is a taser, drop it now, drop it, this is your first warning".
When she kept trying to move forward, he allegedly activated a visual and audio warning on the Taser.
"See you are going to get tasered ... Clare stop," White allegedly said.
But the elderly woman raised the knife again and pointed it at the other officer, standing two metres from her.
"Stop just ... na bugger it," White then said before deploying the Taser, according to the police statement of facts.
Still holding her walking frame, Mrs Nowland fell backwards, hitting her head heavily on the wooden floor.
The officers and paramedics immediately treated the fallen woman, before White and his colleague left to attend another job.
It was about seven hours before he was removed from active duty.
"The facts alleged against Mr White are extremely confronting and shocking," the Nowland family said through a lawyer on Wednesday.
"Clare's family ask that they are please given privacy and space while they consider this latest information."
The facts sheet also details how the elderly woman initially had two knives on her and moved slowly from patient room to patient room over the course of more than an hour.
Nursing home staff called for paramedical help but mention of the knives meant the off-duty White and his colleague were also called in.
Staff and paramedics twice had to search for Mrs Nowland after a bid to lock her in one room failed, before she was cornered in a treatment room in an admin building.
Police arrived about 4.49am, with the tasering occurring minutes after 5.07am.
NSW Police guidelines state a Taser should not be used against an elderly or disabled subject unless exceptional circumstances exist.
After seeking the opinion of a police training expert, who inspected the scene and vision of the incident, prosecutors have alleged White's actions "were a grossly disproportionate response and excessive use of force to the threat posed", considering the elderly woman's age and ability.
The facts were released a day after a Supreme Court bail hearing in which White had conditions imposed, including attending court as ordered and not directly contacting the Nowland family.
White is charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
A plea has not been entered on any of the charges and the matter will return to Cooma Local Court on September 6.
Australian Associated Press
