A Colorado city paid $3million to settle a federal police brutality lawsuit involving a 73-year-old woman with dementia, who was beaten during an arrest and left in lockup for six hours without medical care.
The elderly woman, Karen Garner, was arrested by now-former Loveland Police Officers Austin Hopp, 26, and Daria Jalali, 27, on June 26, 2020 after she inadvertently left Walmart without paying for $13 worth of items.
They were seen in bodycam footage slamming Garner to the ground and twisting her arm, which resulted in a fractured elbow and dislocated arm, according to a federal lawsuit filed in April.
Garner was left in a jail cell for more than six hours and is seen in security footage from the cell crying out for help 51 times in the first hour alone.
The settlement was announced Wednesday morning and is nearly finalized. Garner's family and her lawyer, Sarah Schielke, who said, she 'will be making another big announcement related to the case' but didn't say anything more.
Loveland City Manager Stephen Adams said in Wednesday morning statement that the settlement is 'in the best interest of all involved.'
'The settlement with Karen Garner will help bring some closure to an unfortunate event in our community but does not upend the work we have left to do,' Adams said.
'We extend a deep and heartfelt apology to Karen Garner and her family for what they have endured as a result of this arrest.
'We know we did not act in a manner that upholds the values, integrity, and policies of the City and police department, and we are taking the necessary steps to make sure these actions are never repeated.'
Scroll down for video.
Bodycam footage showed Hopp throwing Karen Garner to the ground on June 26, 2020
Garner's family said she was a happy grandmother (right) before the traumatizing arrest in June 2020 where she was left in a jail cell in pain with her broken arm still cuffed behind her (left)
Photos taken in the aftermath of the arrest show Garner with a bruised and swollen arm
Police Chief Bob Ticer said in a statement that 'there is no excuse, under any circumstances, for what happened to Ms. Garner.'
'We have agreed on steps we need to take to begin building back trust. While these actions won’t change what Ms. Garner experienced, they will serve to improve this police department and hopefully restore faith that the LPD exists to serve those who live in and visit Loveland.'
While Garner pleaded from her jail cell for help, the arresting officers - who were just 10 feet away from the her jail cell - ignored her cries and instead laughed at the bodycam footage of the arrest.
Hopp and Jalali were heard on the department's security camera admiring the 'pop' when Garner's shoulder dislocated and seen fist bumping each other while Garner was locked up in a jail cell in pain just a few feet away.
Garner was ultimately diagnosed with a fractured arm, dislocated shoulder as well as a sprained wrist and was covered in scrapes and bruises, according the lawsuit.
She has never regained full mobility in her arm, her lawyer Shielke told DailyMail.com. She still needs help with everyday tasks like getting dressed or showering, Shielke said, because of her injuries.
Garner's family said the Loveland police treated their mother and grandmother like 'an animal' and it took several months, media scrutiny and public outrage to get an apology.
The family wanted everyone to know that the first eight seconds of the bodycam
