VIDEO: Colorado Cops Laugh At Violent Arrest of Elderly Woman

This one is extremely hard to watch.

A video just released shows two Loveland police officers laughing while watching the video of their arrest of a 73-year old woman with dementia. What is equally disturbing is watching the police bodycam video of the arrest.

What Happened

It was June of 2020 when 73-year-old Karen Garner walked out of Walmart without paying for $13 worth of merchandise. Her family says she forgot to pay because of her condition. She was taken back into the store, and tried to pay for the stuff, but, reportedly was not allowed.

According to a Denver Post report via Yahoo,  police located Garner as she was walking home and placed her under arrest. In the body cam video, you can see the elderly woman being taken to the ground. During the scuffle, the woman's shoulder was reportedly fractured and dislocated and she was in obvious pain. In the video,  The Life & Liberty Law Office says the woman was not taken to the hospital, health professionals were not called, and police did not call her family.

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Police Watch and Laugh At Arrest Video

Another video was released showing the police officers at the police station watching a video of the arrest laughing and making disrespectful comments. "Ready for the pop?" one officer asked. "I think it was her shoulder." Another comment can be heard "I can't believe I threw a 73-year-old to the ground."

There is much more that can be seen and heard in the hour-long uncut video posted on YouTube by The Life & Liberty Law Office. At about the 48:00 mark of the video you can hear the audio of the arrest as the officers watch it on their computer.

The family has filed a lawsuit against the officers. One has been placed on administrative leave while the other officer has been re-assigned to desk duties as the investigation continues.

We understand the use of excessive force is necessary at times for police officers to safely carry out their duties. This was not one of those times, as the woman was clearly not a threat to the officers or to anyone else.

In the police station video, it's disturbing to see the officers talking so disrespectfully about the arrest of a woman who was obviously frail and traumatized during the arrest. Is it a lapse of judgment on the part of the officers? Do they lack proper training? Is this type of behavior normal in police departments in Colorado and across the nation? Is this a rare exception to typical police behavior?