COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) — Voices are growing louder in Loveland as citizens demand answers about the arrest of a 73 year-old woman with dementia.
The video of Karen Garner’s arrest has also gone viral.
Rebecca Scanga is one of the many Coloradans who had a strong reaction to what she watched, and the Commerce City woman’s perspective is certainly unique.
Scanga has early onset Alzheimer’s disease. She was diagnosed two years ago when she was just 47 years old.
“There were definitely signs something was amiss. I couldn’t learn things anymore. There’s times where I’m mad and I’m sad. I’m sad for my kids,” Scanga said.
Scanga is on medication and the disease progression has been slow, but she says she feels as if she loses a piece of herself every week.
“I was thankful that I got to see one grandbaby born, because you just don’t know,” she said.
What Scanga hasn’t lost is empathy.
“People think dementia is I forget things. It’s not,” she explained.
Scanga especially has empathy for Karen Garner. She says she was mortified by the way officers treated the 73-year-old in the body camera video.
“He really went from 0 to 60. He really seemed to come at her out of nowhere,” Scanga said. “It was gross and disgusting.”
Scanga says she’s also disgusted by the way many have reacted to Garner’s story, questioning why her family would let her visit Walmart alone when she has dementia.
“I make mistakes. I get lost in my neighborhood. I could go to the grocery store and forget to pay. She deserved to be treated with dignity and respect. We all do. Be patient,” Scanga said.