Former Loveland officer pleads guilty in Karen Garner case

A former Loveland police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to an assault charge in connection with the rough arrest of Karen Garner, an elderly woman with dementia.

Austin Hopp pleaded guilty to second-degree assault as part of a deal with prosecutors. The crime carries a sentence of two to eight years in prison; however, the judge could sentence him to probation rather than prison, officials said. 

Hopp and former officer Daria Jalali were charged in May 2021 — nearly a year after the incident — after Garner’s lawyer released body camera footage of the arrest as part of a federal civil rights lawsuit.

Garner left a Loveland store without paying for $14 worth of items. Body camera footage showed Hopp grabbing her arm and pushing her to the ground after she turned away from him. 

Hopp then pushed Garner against the hood of his patrol vehicle. Garner attempted to turn around and told officers she was trying to go home. Hopp then pushed her back against the vehicle, bent her arm and said, “Are you finished? Are you finished? We don’t play this game.”

The suit alleged Garner, who was then 73 years old, suffered a dislocated shoulder, broken humerus and a sprained wrist during the June 26, 2020, arrest.

In September, the city agreed to pay the family $3 million in a settlement. Garner’s family indicated that they chose to settle because of Garner’s declining health.

Hopp is scheduled to be sentenced May 5. 

Denver Gazette reporter Julia Cardi contributed to this report. 

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