Australian police officer who Tasered 95-year-old found guilty of manslaughter

An Australian police officer who fatally shocked a 95-year-old care home resident with a Taser gun was found guilty of manslaughter on Wednesday.

Kristian White was called to a care home in Cooma, a town about 90 minutes south of the capital Canberra, in May 2023 after reports that resident Clare Nowland, who suffered from symptoms of dementia, was acting erratically.

He shocked Nowland, who was holding a steak knife, with his Taser, police said at the time. She later died in hospital.

The jury found White guilty of the manslaughter of Nowland after deliberating for almost a week, said a spokesperson for the supreme court of New South Wales, the state where the incident took place.

He is expected to be sentenced as early as this week. Manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in the state.

State police commissioner Karen Webb told a news conference on Wednesday the force was reviewing White's employment after his conviction.

The force reviewed its policy on the use of Tasers in January, and found no updates were required, she said.

“The policy and training is appropriate. The substance of this matter is about the application of the use of the equipment,” Webb said.

The case has caused outrage in Australia, and brought into focus the use of force by police.

Nowland's death came in the same week a police officer in the same state was found guilty of assault after an incident involving a 16-year-old boy from the country's indigenous community in 2020.

The state's police force is being sued by hundreds of music fans who allege they were illegally strip-searched by police officers at music festivals across the state between 2016 and 2022.

Reuters