Officers charged over arrest of woman with dementia

Criminal charges were handed down to two former Colorado police officers on Wednesday after they forcefully detained an elderly woman suffering from dementia last year.

Karen Garner was arrested for shoplifting last June but ended up with a broken arm and a dislocated shoulder.

The details of the 73-year-old's injuries came to light last month, after her family filed a federal civil-rights suit against the city of Loveland, Colorado, as well as its police department and the two officers.

The pair resigned afterwards.

Garner's family spoke out later on Wednesday.

"This isn't just affecting my mom and my family. It's also effecting this whole city of Loveland."

"We've talked to her care takers about her PTSD from all this and this has truly changed the progression of how her dementia was going."

Police body-camera footage of the incident became public when it became an exhibit filed in court, as part of the lawsuit.

It shows Garner getting handcuffed behind her back, and shoved to the ground.

"Do you need to be arrested right now? Okay let's stop. Come on."

"I'm going home."

"Right now you're resisting. And that's not gonna fly with me.

The two policemen were called to the scene after Garner had been caught by Walmart store security, trying to leave without paying for items worth less than $15.

One officer, Austin Hopp was charged with two felony counts - of assault causing serious bodily injury, and attempting to influence a public servant.

The other, Daria Jalali, faces three misdemeanour counts of failing to report the use of force, failure to intervene, and official misconduct.

The Garner family's civil attorney said the criminal charges were "not satisfactory."