Police Commissioner Karen Webb defends cops not mentioning Clare Nowland was Tasered in statement

A police boss has defended not mentioning a 95-year-old woman was Tasered by officers when a statement on the matter was first released.

Clare Nowland is now receiving end of life care in Cooma District Hospital, in southern NSW, after she was critically injured last Wednesday morning. 

Staff at the Yallambee Lodge nursing home called police early last Wednesday after Ms Nowland, who has dementia, is 43kg and uses a walking frame, took a serrated steak knife from the kitchen into a small treatment room.

Police and ambulance officers tried to get her to drop the knife before a senior constable fired his Taser once as she slowly approached them, Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter said on Friday.

Clare Nowland is now receiving end of life care in Cooma District Hospital, in southern NSW , after she was critically injured last Wednesday morning 

Ms Nowland fell back and struck her head on the floor.

The initial statement released from NSW Police on the matter only said there had been an ‘interaction’ between the great grandmother and police, and failed to mention she’d been Tasered.

2GB Radio host Ben Fordham grilled NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb on Monday morning to ask why the public hadn’t been informed of what really happened in the original statement.

‘It was necessary for us to make sure that the family were aware of what the circumstances were,’ Commissioner Webb responded.

‘We didn’t want the family to hear on radio and TV what had happened to their mum, so we had to be a bit sensitive to that and when we were able to talk about it, we did.’

The broadcaster then questioned if it was about protecting Ms Nowland’s family, or ‘hiding something that might be embarrassing or shameful for the police?’.

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NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb defended the decision to leave out the fact Ms Nowland had been Tasered by officers when an original statement on the matter was released

‘We are not hiding. I want answers as do the family,’ the commissioner said, adding she had seen the original statement put out. 

‘I thought it was important that we were mindful of the family.’

Fordham then asked if she stood by the decision to leave out the Tasering in the media release.

‘Yes I do, as I said the Nowland family deserve to learn from police what happened rather than hear about it in the media,’ Commissioner Webb said.

The commissioner said she would not be watching police footage of the incident, and said her thoughts were with Ms Nowland’s family.

Priest Father Mark Croker visited Mrs Nowland on Sunday and held a Catholic mass at her hospital bedside. 

He said although Ms Nowland had dementia, she was still in good form and was able to hold a conversation.

‘The thing with Clare is the dementia hadn’t completely taken hold, you could still have a conversation with her … she might get a bit confused, but that’s an age thing,’ he said.

The officer who fired the electric shock weapon joined the force 12 years ago and has since been taken off active duty.

The critical incident investigation has been elevated to ‘level one’ because of Ms Nowland suffering an injury that could lead to her death.

Detectives from the State Homicide Squad and Law Enforcement Conduct Commission are investigating what happened and if the forced used was appropriate. 

More to come