Cotter clarifies the incident did not take place in Clare Nolan’s room:

It was in a room. She had left her bedroom and had walked around the nursing home facility.

I’m not sure exactly how long, but probably for a couple of hours she was out of her bed.

She had gone to the kitchen, she had accessed to a knife, and she was in a treatment room, I think it is classified as, where medical treatment – a small confined space room – where treatment would normally be administered during working hours.

And she was in that room by herself.

Police and paramedics tried to de-escalate and get Nowland to drop knife: Cotter

Asked about de-escalation tactics deployed before the Taser was used, Cotter says:

The police and a number of staff, both paramedics and otherwise, engaged in conversation with her to de-escalate the matter for her to drop the knife and that went on in a conversation for a number of minutes.

I’m not going to talk about the exact words used, but the words were clear to de-escalate the matter.

Clare approach the doorway where the police were and at that stage the one officer discharged the Taser.

However, Cotter says it’s not in the public interest to release the footage while it forms a “significant and integral” part of the investigation.

Body-worn camera footage of Tasering is ‘confronting’: Cotter

Cotter confirms there is “confronting” police body cam footage of the incident:

I have seen the footage. Both officers had their body-worn video activated.

The incident in its totality is captured, both audio and visual, and I have seen it and I understand what I’ve seen.

… It is confronting footage.

Police officer involved will have duty type reviewed, says assistant commissioner

What actions will be taken against the officer involved in the incident?

Cotter:

Clearly his duty type will be under review, understanding that this is a live investigation and has the opportunity to be spoken to and be interviewed.

If at some stage we believe interim action has to be taken then it will be taken.

At this stage, he is nonoperational, he is not in the workplace, and any ultimate sanction, if that is to be determined [as] an end result, that will be taken.

‘We … have discussed it at every level,’ says Cotter of whether Nowland posed a threat to officers

Asked about the public outrage over whether Nowland really could have threatened officers, Cotter says it’s been discussed at every level of the police force:

It’s a matter for concern … We have spoken about it at the upper echelons of this organisation, have discussed it at every level, and are very concerned about what occurred the other day that’s why we have the investigation live that we have at the moment.

The police officer had 12 years’ experience in the force, Cotter says:

The officer involved specifically has about 12 years of experience.

Cotter asked whether he thinks officers were at risk of being overpowered by 43kg, 5’2” 95-year-old woman

A reporter asks Cotter, given Clare Nowland is 5’2” and weighs 43kg, whether he thinks that the officers were at risk of being overpowered.

Cotter:

Subjectively I cannot transport myself to the mind of the actual officer or officers. What I can say is that this is a very live and serious investigation of which the homicide squad is investigating and in the rights to everyone involved, the investigation process has to carry on.

Tasers meant for self-defence, but assessment of threats ‘very subjective’, says assistant police commissioner

Peter Cotter, the NSW assistant police commissioner, is now taking questions.

Asked about his reaction when he heard about the incident, Cotter speaks to the reasons why police officers carry weapons:

The reasons why we carry weapons and equipment that we do is clearly to defend ourselves, principally the principles of self-defence. Defend yourself from harm or hurt or potential death. Equally, protect your colleague, your work colleague and to protect members of the public. Each of the pieces of equipment that we hold or carry a significance and I suppose are a trigger or condition that authorised the use.

If I speak about tasers, per se, and not specifically about this incident, the rules governing that you can use your Taser as a police officer, and again it’s very subjective to the threats facing you at that time, so we can’t talk too much specifically about the incident, but generally, we say it is there is a piece of equipment to defend yourself when you think your life is in danger or someone else’s life is in danger, where you have a genuine fear and threat of being physically overpowered, if there is a violent confrontation occurring but of course, those facts have to be real.

Elderly woman Tasered by police going ‘in and out of consciousness’, says Cotter

Cotter says Clare Nowland has been going in and out of consciousness:

As we meet here today, the status or the health of Clare is that she still remains in hospital, she remains in and out of consciousness, her family with her, she is comfortable but I am not privy to talk any more about her absolute health diagnosis or prognosis.

On behalf of the family who we have spoken to today, they literally don’t want to say too much, they do want to say too much to me as a conveyor of any message and equally, they don’t want to say too much personally to the press.

What they have asked of us is to express a behalf of them that if they could be left alone to attend to their mother, grandmother and the health of the family and the sadness they feel at this stage is their main concern.

Speaking about what that investigation will involve, Cotter says:

Numerous people will be spoken to: witnesses, … family, those present, police; statements will be taken and an investigation [which will be] ultimately reviewed by the professional standards command of the NSW police force with clear oversight from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission of NSW.

Cotter says the police critical incident investigation launched is the highest level investigation, a “level 1” classification:

Following on from that specific incident, an investigation was commenced.

As is the norm when part of a police operational response, and someone is injured, whether that be a member of the public or the police themselves, whether it be an offender or perhaps in this case Clare, an investigation is commenced, that is called a critical incident investigation.

Given what was before us at midday on Wednesday, this investigation was nominated as a level 1 critical incident.

The criteria for a level 1 critical incident classification is … an injury that leads to death or imminent death … The policy states that in a level 1 critical incident, the homicide squad are involved.

Significant concerns for 95-year-old Clare Nowland’s health: Cotter

Cotter says there are significant concerns for Nowland’s health:

She is a 95-year-old lady who suffers from some of the general frailties of that age, but the injury that she suffered as a result of hitting her head on the floor has rendered her bedridden at the moment.

I’m not in a position to talk about her diagnosis or her prognosis, except to say that she remains in a critical condition and her family and extended family surround her and have done since about midday on Wednesday.

There are significant concerns clearly for her health and where that may lead.

Senior constable ‘activated his Taser’ after Nowland did not drop knife, Cotter says

Cotter says Clare Nowland did not drop the knife when police commenced negotiations:

For whatever reason, she did not do that.

One of the police officers who responded, a senior constable, activated his Taser which struck Clare, whereby she fell to the ground, striking her head.

Immediate medical care and attention was delivered to Clare by the nursing staff and the paramedics and also the officers involved.

As a result of that, the injury to her head, she was taken to the district hospital which is where she remains today.

It is equally fair to say that she is in a state of ill-health.

Police found 95-year-old Clare Nowland at nursing home holding a steak knife, Cotter says

Cotter is now going into the details of what occurred on Wednesday when police were called to Clare Nowland’s nursing home:

On Wednesday morning, the 17th, police were called to the nursing home in Cooma.

The call was along the lines of one of the patients, Clare, having a knife in her possession.

Paramedics and police responded, and Clare was located within the nursing home facility.

At the time she was in her room, she did have a knife in her hand and it is fair to say that she was armed with that knife.

The knife in question was a steak knife, with a serrated edge, that she had obtained from the kitchen area of the nursing home a couple of hours earlier.

Negotiations commenced with Clare to essentially drop the knife.