Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
The New South Wales police officer accused of Tasering 95-year-old Clare Nowland who later died has been charged with manslaughter after advice from the state’s director of public prosecutions.
Police announced the upgraded charges for Sr Const Kristian White on Wednesday morning.
The 33-year-old officer had already been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault after the encounter at the Cooma aged care facility.
Nowland died in hospital in May after she was allegedly Tasered by White while she was carrying a knife at Yallambee Lodge nursing home in Cooma.
Prosecutors have alleged the officer’s actions were “grossly disproportionate” and “excessive” given the great-grandmother’s age and ability, according to court documents.
After failed efforts by two police officers to convince Nowland to drop the knife as she approached on her walking frame, the officer accused of Tasering her said, “Stop, just … nah, bugger it,” before deploying his weapon.
In July Nowland’s family released a statement through their lawyer. “The facts alleged against Mr White are extremely confronting and shocking,” they said.
White remains suspended from duty with pay. He will appear before the Cooma local court next month.
