Share this @internewscast.com

LOVELAND, Colo. — A former Loveland police officer was sentenced to prison Thursday after taking a plea deal in connection to a violent arrest of a 75-year-old woman in 2020.

Judge C. Michelle Brinegar sentenced former Loveland police officer Austin Hopp to five years in prison on Thursday, plus three years of parole, according to court documents.

Austin Hopp at sentencing hearing

Denver7

FORT COLLINS, CO – MAY 5, 2022: Former Loveland Police Officer Austin Hopp listens to family members of Karen Garner speak during his sentencing hearing Thursday, May 5, 2022, at the Larimer County Justice Center in Fort Collins. Hopp was senteced to five years in prison with three years of mandatory parole for his guilty plea to second-degree assualt stemming from his 2020 arrest of Karen Garner. (Jenny Sparks/Loveland Reporter-Herald)

Hopp pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault in early March for the June 26, 2020 arrest of 75-year-old Karen Garner. As part of the plea deal, other charges against him were dropped.

The arrest was publicized in April 2021, when Garner’s family filed a federal lawsuit. Garner, who has dementia, was arrested after a shoplifting incident where she was suspected of leaving a Loveland Walmart and not paying for $13.88 worth of items, a common practice among those with dementia, according to the lawsuit. She was stopped by Hopp and former officer Daria Jalali. Body camera video showed Hopp grabbing Garner’s arm and pushing her to the ground.

daria-jalali-austin-hopp-mugshots.png

Larimer County Sheriff’s Office

The two former Loveland police officers charged Wednesday in connection to their arrest of a 73-year-old woman with dementia last year have both turned themselves in to Larimer County authorities as of Thursday morning. Daria Jalali is seen at left and Austin Hopp is seen at right.

The lawsuit claimed officers refused to provide any mental health assistance or medical care for her injuries, which included a broken arm and dislocated shoulder.

After the arrest, video from inside the Loveland Police Department’s booking area showed the officers laughing about the arrest and fist-bumping each other while watching the body camera video.

karen-garner-did-you-hear-pop.png

Screenshot of video provided by Sarah Schielke

Loveland police officers who arrested a 73-year-old woman with dementia last summer laughed about the arrest when watching body camera video and fist-bumped each other, according to video newly released by the woman’s attorney on Monday.

Initially, the two officers were placed on administrative leave. Soon after, they were no longer with the department — though it’s unclear if they were fired or resigned — and they were arrested in May 2021.

The Garner family settled the lawsuit against the City of Loveland for $3 million in September 2021.

“Thirteen dollars and 88 cents is the business interest that Loveland believed was worth inflicting this atrocity,” Garner’s attorney, Sarah Schielke, said the day the settlement was announced. “Today, they pay Ms. Garner $3 million. The amount of this settlement is likely record-breaking for a civil rights case that doesn’t involve death or permanent disfigurement. Not only does its amount send a powerful message, but the speed in which it was obtained does as well — just four months since we filed the lawsuit.”

Schielke said the family decided to settle with the city after they found a letter written by Garner from several years prior, when dementia first started affecting her.

‘This is justice for my mom’: Karen Garner’s family, attorney explain settlement with City of Loveland

The letter, in part, reads, “All I’ve wanted all my life was someone to love, adore and care about me. I find the world scary now, being alone. So value love as a treasured gift that is all that matters. I want the best and fullest lives possible for my children and grandchildren. I feel the world is getting crueler. Don’t make it any rougher for yourselves by living in the past. Look out the front window. Don’t dwell on what’s in the rear view mirror.”

Schielke said this proved that Garner, who could not express what she wanted to do regarding the settlement, wanted closure and peace for her loved ones.

Garner’s arrest sparked the need for an independent review of the police department, and those results were released in January. It found that staffing shortages at the department were leading to fatigue and frustration and the data-driven approach focused on the number of arrests and citations was hurting the quality of policing.

Jalali pleaded not guilty on charges of failure to report use of force by a peace officer, failure to intervene and first-degree official misconduct.

Source: This post first appeared on

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Explosive New Investigation: Private Investigator Uncovers Shocking Details in Teen Celeste’s Case Linked to Singer D4VD’s Tesla

Mladen Trifunovic, the landlord of the property that Burke was renting for…

Homeless Individual Apprehended in Waldo for Alleged Possession of Stolen Scooters from Gainesville

In a recent development out of Waldo, Florida, a 69-year-old man, Charlie…

Grandfather Accused of Assault After Alleging Victim’s Poison Plot

Left: Mastin Raines (Johnson County Sheriff”s Office). Right: William Gustin (Dickey Funeral…

Police Mock Bikie as ‘Middle-Aged Cosplayer’ Amid Controversial Nazi Tattoo Allegations

The Western Australia police commissioner has referred to a notorious bikie as…

Chilling Clues Unveiled: Witnesses Report Suspicious Activity at Kada Scott Crime Scene

A man charged with kidnapping a Pennsylvania woman, who was tragically found…

Man Detained for Playing Darth Vader’s Theme Near Military Personnel Files Lawsuit

FILE – People talk with National Guard soldiers on the Ellipse, with…

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Targets Todd Blanche: Legal Showdown on the Horizon?

Left: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche listens during a news conference about…

Couple Allegedly Orchestrates ‘Sibling Rivalry’ Plot Resulting in Tragic Deaths of Teen Mother and Infant

Insets, left to right: Yarelly Solorio-Rivera (Fresno Police Department), Martin Arroyo-Morales (Fresno…

Shocking Incident: Caregiver Allegedly Burns Patient with Lighter, Claims Wasp Attack – Police Investigate

Share A healthcare worker in Louisiana is facing allegations of using a…

Authorities Launch Search for Suspect in War Memorial Vandalism Incident

Sydney’s police force is currently on the hunt for an unidentified individual…

Tragic Airbnb Fire Highlights Critical Need for Smoke Detectors, Lawsuit Claims

Inset: Stephen Kuehl, his wife Stella Kuehl and their three children (GoFundMe).…

Man Faces Charges After Allegedly Stabbing Girlfriend in Violent Incident

Report by Staff GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have arrested 24-year-old Sebastian Emmanuel…