Karen Garner: Loveland cops Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali fist bump, laugh at arrest footage of dementia patient
A shocking footage has surfaced from Colorado featuring police officers Austin Hopp and Daria Jalali from Loveland Police Department. The two cops were suspended and reassigned respectively on April 16, 2021, for their use of brutal force while arresting 73-year-old Karen Garner. The new footage shows them seated at their desks at the police precinct while enjoying the bodycam footage of injuring the elderly woman with dementia while arresting her.
The two officers laughed and even fist bumped each other over the successful arrest, during which they dislocated the woman's shoulder trying to handcuff her. A previous video released by Garner's attorney shows the bodycam footage of her arrest on June 26, 2020, after she forgot to pay $13.38 for her items at Walmart.
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Karen Garner was allegedly arrested using excessive force
In the bodycam footage of Garner's arrest, the elderly woman appears visibly confused as Officer Hopp can be seen pushing Garner to the ground. She is heard screaming, "I'm going home" even as she is held up against the police car. Then Officer Jalali can be heard saying, "Quit it!" as she pulls Garner's arm behind her back. A snapping sound can be heard as Garner wails out in pain.
As a third officer, Phil Metzler, arrives at the scene enquiring if everything is good, Officer Jalali can be heard saying, "A little muddy, a little bloody, that's how it works!" Garner was then reportedly held for hours in police custody without any medical attention despite being in severe pain. In fact, photos taken after the arrest depict Garner's arm as severely bruised and swollen. She also had a bloody nose.
'Ready for the pop?'
In the new footage, the officers are seemingly enjoying the video of Garner's arrest as they say that it went well. Hopp, Jalali and another officer can be seen gathered around a computer watching the footage.
"Ready for the pop?" Hopp can be heard asking Jalali, and later explaining that her shoulder was probably dislocated. "I can't believe I threw a 73-year-old to the ground," he said.
"It's like live TV... Body-cams are my favorite thing to watch, I could watch livestream body-cams all day," Jalali is heard interrupting. Their 'feat' of arresting the woman who they dubbed to be 'flexible' for her age was lauded by the third officer who said, "Impressive, buddy."
All the while, Garner was detained in a cell - handcuffed, confused, and alone, while crying in pain. She was kept for six hours without any medical attention.
The sound of the footage was enhanced by a sound engineer hired by Garner's family. This was how the audio of the video was amplified and the conversation between the cops could be heard.