So Now It's Manslaughter?

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-65696475
//Last week, police said she was "armed" with a steak knife. On Friday, they confirmed that she required a walking frame to move and the officer discharged his Taser after she began approaching "at a slow pace.// - that copper must have been a total plonker.

[THECORBYLOON]

Where does it mention manslaughter?

[Kardashev]

Yes I would think that the charges would now become the Australian equivalent of manslaughter.

[douglas9401]

The disembodied voices in Toraworld.

[ToraToraTora]

Yes well done Kardishev for reading the question. They mention assault in the link but surely that will now become manslaughter.

[jno]

that sounds right, Australian law's much the same as British so I'd expect a manslaughter charge; but we'll see.

She was armed with a steak knife, though not an obvious risk.

[ToraToraTora]

...yes she charged at glacial pace using her zimmer frame, poor copper must have been terrified!

[jno]

they tried to get her to drop the knife, which she'd been carrying since they were originally called, and she wouldn't. I would have thought there were simpler ways of immobilising her, but it may be that they're all illegal too.

[ToraToraTora]

Gawd you don't have to be Chuck Norris to disarm her, just walk behind grab the arm with the knife and open her hand. Simples.

[retrocop]

//I would have thought there were simpler ways of immobilising her, but it may be that they're all illegal too. //

There is nothing illegal about use of a taser in polce hands. They are supposed to be a non lethal alternative to a firearm. What was seriously lacking here was bottle,common sense and self control.A blanket could of been thrown over her to distract and disorient her then gently disarming her. May be an element of lack of training as well.

[anneasquith]

Lack of training .
1) what an elderly person looks like .
2) what a walking frame is.
Might be good to start with .

[wolf63]

I know of a police officer that was called to a disturbance, it was an old man with a big knife. The officer got stabbed - the fragile old man was 98.

You just never know what you are going to face when you deal with the public.

I will agree that this was heavy-handed police work.

[anneasquith]

Badly injured Susan ?

[Old_Geezer]

Do they not train police in basic unarmed 'combat' ? No wonder they daren't say, "Boo", to protesters.

[retrocop]

OG
I have already answered your query in detail on the original post on this subject. I also suggested that this is not an uncommon occurrence in care homes where there elderly demented patients. I witnessed it twice in two different care homes for the elderly.Surely the nurse/carers could of dealt with this instead of involving police or maybe they lack bottle and training as well. After all we have heard of many cases of undue use of restraints on certain patients who are non compliant and confused.

[wolf63]

anne - nearly lost the use of an arm.

[jno]

the Mail says it could be a murder charge; personally I doubt it

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12119983/Policeman-Tasered-grandmother-charged-murder-father-cuts-forlorn-figure.html

[vulcan42]

The trouble with dementia is you're no longer dealing with the person you see in front of you. I had a friend, a mild and gentle teacher, dementia turned him into an 85 year old raging antagonist with amazing strength for his age and size. However there had to be a better strategy than using a taser.