The relatives of a woman who tragically died following a police operation involving a taser are insisting for an inquiry into her passing. Krista Kach, an aged 47, met her demise at John Hunter Hospital subsequent to a police intrusion in her Stockton, Newcastle residence.
The police had been alerted to a building complex on Mitchell St in Stockton, Newcastle, a fraction after midday on a Thursday. The reports suggested a woman menacing people with an axe. The police assert that Ms. Kach threatened the officers responding to the call with the said axe and subsequently shielded herself within her unit.
An extensive operation lasting nine hours and consisting of specialist tactical officers and negotiators culminated in the police gaining entry into the property. Ms. Kach, during the operation, was tasered and then transported to the John Hunter Hospital where she later succumbed to her condition.
The family persistently maintains that they had informed the police about the 47-year-old’s mental health issues. They contend that despite their efforts, the NSW Police Northern Command Assistant Commissioner, Peter McKenna, remained oblivious to any mental health conditions related to Ms. Kach. The family spoke out in a statement, “She was unwell that day and in dire need of medical assistance. We placed our faith in the police to care for our mother and that she would receive medical attention. Our mother was not a threat, she was a compassionate, capable woman who cherished her family and others. The person at risk when her home was forcefully entered by the police was only our mother.”
The family insists that the police’s actions during the incident necessitate an investigation. They claimed they only learned that weapons had been discharged on their mother after hearing it on the radio when informed of her death.
NSW Police has commanded an internal review of the course of events, which also includes an examination of the officers’ use of “less than lethal” weapons. Mr. McKenna in a press briefing asserted that a variety of techniques, comprising of firing projectile bean bags, may have inflicted the injury on the woman’s shoulder. He clarified, “Following the incident, she managed to reach a nearby ambulance but her condition then rapidly worsened.”
Ms. Kach’s untimely demise has stirred NSW Greens MP, Sue Higginson, to propel a parliamentary inquiry into NSW Police’s reactions to individuals in a vulnerable state and their accountability. Higginson argues that Ms. Kach’s death should be a turning point for the state in crafting effective strategies to handle situations involving individuals in mental health crises. In her words, “We failed Krista and her family massively. We should prevent such incidents from happening again.”
Higginson maintains that the police treated Ms. Kach more like a criminal than a citizen in need of help. According to her, “Instead of aid, the police antagonized her with a heavy presence of armed officers on her property prompting a sense of threat rather than security. The police needed to realize that they were the only element instilling fear and unease in her.”
She concludes that the police are ill-prepared for handling such situations. “Driven by a culture of capture, custody, and punishment, their responses often escalate situations rather than defuse them. None of these outcomes were fitting or necessary in dealing with Krista.”
In a tragic echo, Ms. Kach’s death follows the passing of Clare Nowland, 95, who died four months prior after allegedly being tasered by Senior Constable Kristian White. Constable White currently faces legal proceedings regarding the actions leading to Ms. Nowland’s death.
