A 95-year-old woman is in critical condition after police intervene Australia At her nursing home, they stunned her with a stun gun when she approached them with a walking frame and a steak knife.

Claire Nolan, who has DementiaA senior constable knocked him down, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter told a news conference on Friday.

At the time, “she was approaching the police, but arguably very slowly,” he said. “She has a walking frame, but she has a knife.”

He added that an internal investigation into the incident had been launched on Wednesday at the Yallambee Lodge nursing home in a small town about 240 miles south of Cooma. sydney.

After receiving a call about a patient with a knife, Cotter said two officers who arrived at the scene found Nolan in a “small” treatment room.

“Negotiations started to get her to drop the knife. For whatever reason, Claire didn’t do that,” he said, adding that the senior constable fired his stun gun, which was found dead after a major manufacturer Widely known as a Taser.

“I can’t go any further than anyone thinks,” Cotter said.

The 5-foot-2, 95-pound woman fell to the ground and was hit on the head.

Paramedics transferred Nowland to a nearby hospital where her head injuries left her bedridden. “She was conscious the entire time,” Cotter said.

He added that she left her bedroom and got the knife from the kitchen at Yallambee Lodge, a 93-room facility that “offers a range of accommodation and support options for those with higher care needs, dementia symptoms and respite care for individuals and couples,” according to its website.

NBC News has reached out to Yallambee Lodge for comment.

Community advocate Andrew Thaler, who is assisting the family, said Friday they were “shocked, confused, angry and hurt” by the incident.

“There was nothing she could do with the knife,” he said. “I bet all she could do was hurt herself. The police and nurses are trained to treat people with dementia, if they can’t, why is she there?”

Taylor said Nolan was a longtime member of the community who ran a charity store, attended church regularly and cooked for other seniors through his outreach work.

“Claire is one of those ladies who gives more than she gets,” he added.

Saylor said her family, which has eight children and more than 60 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, knew that she was “advanced in age and the lifeline was at an end, but to suddenly cut it short and ruin it in this way Shocking and confronting.”

“It’s ridiculous,” he added.

Cotter declined to answer any questions about the officer’s criminal charges, but confirmed he had served on the force for 12 years. The officer was “inactive while under review,” he added.

“None of our officers are above the law and all our actions will be closely scrutinized from a criminal and departmental standpoint,” he said.

The investigation was designated a Level 1 event, which would classify an injury resulting in death or imminent death in exceptional circumstances. The classification ensures the highest level of investigation, which includes a homicide squad.

“Major events are things that we’re always transparent about,” Cotter said.

He added that the incident, which was captured on two police body cameras, formed an “important part of the investigation” but would not be released because “it is not in the public interest”.

Cotter said the investigation would ultimately be reviewed by the South Wales Police Force’s Professional Standards Command and overseen by the NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.