Two Colorado police officers have been arrested and charged following a violent arrest of an elderly woman that suffers from dementia.

The incident occurred last year in Northern Colorado's Larimer County which is home to towns such as Fort Collins and Loveland, the town in which the incident took place.

The woman who was initially arrested, Karen Garner, is in her 70s and suffers from dementia. Garner was at a Loveland Wal-Mart and nearly left without paying for a small amount of merchandise and although she didn't in fact shoplift, had the police called on her before attempting to walk home.

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The police then caught up with her, injuring her shoulder in the process of arresting the woman, and were seen on body cameras making light of the situation while Garner tried to explain that she was simply trying to go home.

The arresting officer was 26-year-old Austin Hopp who was later assisted by 27-year-old Daria Jalali, who were both employed by the Loveland Police Department but have since been let go.

Hopp was taken into custody at the Larimer County Jail in Fort Collins at 8:30 a.m. this morning and Jalali turned herself into the same facility at 9:49 a.m. after a warrant was issued for her arrest as well.

Jalali has since been released on a $5000 bond while Hopp is still in custody with no bond set for his release.

Hopp is charged with second-degree assault of an at-risk adult, a class three felony, attempt to influence a public servant, a class four felony, and first-degree official misconduct, a class two misdemeanor.

Jalali has been charged with failure to report an excessive use of force, a class one misdemeanor, failure to intervene in the use of excessive force, a class one misdemeanor, and first-degree official misconduct, a class two misdemeanor.

Hopp's first court date was today, while Jalali has yet to have a court date set.

[Loveland Reporter Herald]

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