Loveland council requires conferences after arrest of disabled 73-year-old girl prompts civil rights go well with – Loveland Reporter-Herald

Loveland City Council members Thursday called for a police department policy review, less than a day after three officers were named in a civil rights lawsuit over the arrest of 73-year-old Karen Garner in June.

Police arrested Garner after employees at a Loveland Walmart allegedly prevented her from going out of business with goods valued at less than $ 14. During the arrest, Garner was pulled to the ground and held by officers.

Garner’s attorney Sarah Schielke says officers broke and dislocated the 5-foot, 80-pound woman’s arm and denied her access to medical treatment. Garner also suffers from dementia and sensory aphasia, which affect her ability to understand and communicate instructions, Schielke said.

The arrest was captured with at least one officer-worn camera. Schielke’s office has published versions of the footage on YouTube.

Loveland Police have since announced that they will be investigating the incident, putting arrest officer Austin Hopp on administrative leave, and administrative assistant Daria Jalali and on-site supervisor Sgt. Phil Metzler.

On Thursday, Councilor Don Overcash emailed the rest of the city council, District Attorney Moses Garcia and City Administrator Steve Adams, asking for the assistance of at least three other council members to schedule a study session in which the city council publicly raised the complaint could evaluate process as well as how information about injuries in custody is exchanged within the Loveland Police Department.

“(W) we are all aware … of the situation that came to light yesterday regarding the Loveland Police Department,” the email said in part. “I think we need to tell our citizens that situations like the one we are investigating are of great concern to everyone in Loveland.”

Overcash shared the email with the Reporter-Herald at the time, asking the council to support an in camera review “with the city legal department and others as determined by the city administrator for a confidential discussion.”

He declined to comment later when asked if he was concerned about the police treatment of the arrest.

“I have no comment on this because I do not have all of the information,” he said, although he said he saw footage of the arrest seen online.

“I understand this is an edited video and I don’t know exactly what that means,” he said. “I am particularly concerned about misunderstandings and incidents that can destroy trust. It is unfortunate when an intervention does not produce good results for all concerned.”

Around 5 p.m., Garcia confirmed that Mayor Jacki Marsh and Councilors Dave Clark, Steve Olson and Kathi Wright had expressed their support for Overcash’s request.

City councilor Andrea Samson said in an email that she, too, supports the initiation of a conversation, but does not want to think about the request outside of a meeting, since “(a) topic of this size and impact … should be discussed publicly”.

Garcia said an in camera discussion on the subject has been placed on the agenda of the council meeting on Tuesday and that Adams could speak with the council about adding a study session to the calendar at that time.

Adams also said in an email to the council on Thursday evening, which he also forwarded to the Reporter-Herald, that LPD chief Bob Ticer would “speak shortly before the council and the public to share what he has done on the matter can “.

“We all recognize the great public concern on this matter and try to share as much as possible with our residents,” said Adams.

By Thursday evening, the closed session had been placed on the council’s agenda to follow a second vote on a proposed ban on vaping and flavored tobacco products.