Australia: Great-grandmother, 95, Tasered by police now in 'end of life care'

Family friend Andrew Thaler describes the situation as 'unimaginable' in an interview on ITV's Good Morning Britain

The family friend of a 95-year-old great-grandmother in critical condition after being Tasered by police has said she is now on "end-of-life care".

Andrew Thaler said Clare Nowland might be the "oldest person on the planet" to have ever been Tasered when police turned up to Yallambee Lodge care home in Cooma, New South Wales, Australia, responding to reports she was carrying a serrated steak knife.

Ms Nowland, who has lived at the home for the past five years, was asked to put the knife down by officials but as she approached the doorway, a senior constable with 12 years of experience fired a Taser at her.

Police say her injuries were caused from her falling to the ground rather than directly from the Taser's electric shock but have refused to release the bodycam footage.

"It's something that we are all struggling to put into words. It is quite simply unimaginable... She is 43 kilos (6.7 stone), 95 years of age," Mr Thaler told ITV's Good Morning Britain on Monday.

"A lot of people and some of the family were shocked that she made it through last night, (she is) still hanging on now. She's on end of life care and that's quite dire.

"It is outrageous and, it is shocking... That is offset by an enormous outpouring of grief and well wishes and prayers from all around the world.

"We don't have those answers and that's partly why I'm helping to speak out, because that is an answer that everybody wants."

Mr Thaler revealed that Ms Nowland, who also has dementia, "lived in service" of her community, running a second-hand thrift shop charity that also gave out food and electricity vouchers in Cooma.

She also parachuted out of a plane for both her 80th and 85th birthdays.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has sparked further uproar after saying they "don't intend" to release the bodycam footage.

Mr Thaler continued: "It's incredible to think our top cop... you would think she would need to reassure parliament, the minister, the community that the correct policing has been undertaken by the staff underneath her.

"And she cannot do that - she cannot tell parliament that the correct thing has been done.

"If this was an average, every day person or football player, they would be charged and arrested and all that kind of thing, and we have no information about that at all.

"Certainly it appears there are no charges yet laid and the policeman is probably hiding in a motel somewhere in another town."

The senior constable responsible has been taken off duty and their status is under review as a critical incident investigation is launched.

Mr Thaler added Ms Nowland was "very strong with her church."

"She knew everybody in the town and everybody knew her."

"This is not how a life lived in service of the community should be taken."

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