Convicted cop who broke woman with dementia's arm may get out of prison early

According to the family of Karen Garner, the Loveland woman who experienced a broken arm and other injuries during a 2020 arrest, former officer Austin Hopp could be released early from his five-year prison sentence. Hopp is scheduled to appear in a northern Colorado court next week to possibly be transitioned out of prison and into a halfway house program.

Hopp is only nine months into his five-year sentence.

Hopp was convicted in 2022 of breaking Garner's arm, separating her shoulder and spraining her wrist during a 2020 investigation. Garner, who lives with dementia, was not given medical attention for hours while Hopp and his peers were recorded joking around about the injuries.

Garner's family told CBS News Colorado's Dillon Thomas that they were notified that Hopp may be a candidate for a community corrections program.

"The Garner family is shocked and confused that former Officer Hopp is being offered a parole hearing to discuss the opportunity of moving to Community Corrections," the family wrote in a statement. "His plea deal and sentence of 2-5 years did not even offer the opportunity of a parole hearing until April of 2024. He's only served 9 months of his sentence. This is likely being offered due to prison overcrowding, according the CO DCC website, and we'd like to know what Governor Polis is doing to make sure violent offenders are not being let out years early, as is happening in this case."

Hopp is scheduled to appear in court next week.