Officer who tasered elderly woman should have ‘evaluated’

Senior Constable Kristian White fired his stun gun at Clare Nowland, 95, in a treatment room at Yallambee Lodge aged-care home in the southern NSW town of Cooma during the early hours of May 17, 2023.

The great-grandmother, who had symptoms of dementia was holding a knife at the time. She fell backwards, hit her head, and died a week later in hospital.

White is facing a trial in the NSW Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to manslaughter.

NSW Police operational safety instructor William Watt on Friday said officers were trained that a subject armed with a knife presented a significant threat.

But officers were not trained that a knife should automatically warrant a gun or Taser being used, he said.

“Police are expected to evaluate the circumstances and select an appropriate tactical option based on the situation that confronts them,” Watt said.