Ex-cop pleads guilty in rough arrest of woman with dementia
By COLLEEN SLEVIN
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — A former Colorado police officer shown on body camera video roughly arresting a 73-year-old woman with dementia has pleaded guilty to assault in a plea deal objected to by the woman’s family. Austin Hopp entered the plea Wednesday. He faces a possible prison sentence of up to 8 years in prison. He had faced a mandatory prison sentence of between 10 and 32 years under the original charge. He arrested Karen Garner in 2020 after she left a store without paying for about $14 worth of items. A family spokesperson says they never wanted a plea deal, noting there’s no lack of evidence in the case.
