Australia, insurance, car, home, live, holidays

Krista Kach died in hospital after police peppered her with bean bag rounds and Tasered her to bring to a close a nine-hour siege.

They said they gained entry to her property at 9.45pm and used “a number of tactical options to take the woman into custody,including the use of a Taser”. However,they could not comment further as the situation was subject to a critical incident investigation.

But Kach’s family have disputed the police version of events,claiming she was not a dangerous person and that she was distressed as a result of being told earlier in the day that she was to be evicted from her home. They only found out that police had discharged their weapons when they heard it on the radio.

Kach livestreamed the incident for hours to an unknown audience. The footage shows she swung between references to the sovereign citizen movement,paedophiles,treason,fraud,embezzlement,espionage and the Nuremberg trials. She repeatedly utters the phrase “Hold the line” – a phrase popularised after the US Capitol riots.

Greens MP Sue Higginson,who obtained the footage with the consent of Kach’s daughter,said it demonstrated the need for systemic reform in the way police responded to vulnerable people.

A screenshot of Krista Kach taken from livestream footage.

“It’s hard to fathom the extent to which our system has failed Krista and her family,” Higginson said.

A statement issued by Kach’s family,who theHerald has agreed not to name due to their acute mental distress,described her as a “strong and independent woman” who had experienced mental distress during her life,and the reports emerging from NSW Police,neighbours and the media were inaccurate and damaging.

“We told the police in no uncertain terms that she was not well that day and she needed medical help,” the statement said.

“We were assured that the police would look after our mother and that she would be cared for by a hospital and qualified medical professionals.

“Our mother was not a dangerous person ... What happened on Thursday was a disturbing and heartbreaking response by the police to a vulnerable person that had been told that she would soon be homeless.”

It is not clear what if any audience was watching Kach’s livestream. At times,she appears to be responding to questions from another individual,though she was alone in the house. The room is dark and a children’s movie is playing in the background. There are long periods where she is calm,but she becomes upset every time a female police officer outside the building attempts to engage with her.

“You’re trespassing,you’re illegal,” she shouts. Then appearing to address her audience she adds:“They are terrorists. This is terrorism. Trying to settle on the porch when you’re not invited. What,are you going to collect illegal tax revenue? They’re not stating any reason they’re here ... I haven’t done anything. I was safe before they arrived.”

The incident followed the death of Clare Nowland earlier this year. The great-grandmother suffered from dementia and was allegedly tasered after she advanced towards an officer with a knife.

NSW Police discontinued an officer’s course in de-escalating situations involving mental health patients in 2019.

Higginson said police protocols escalated such situations because they were driven by capture,custody and punishment. The video footage shows Kach was clearly experiencing some form of psychosis when officers in black riot gear surrounded her home,she said.

“I cannot unsee what I have seen,” Higginson said.

“Krista was lying on her bed watching a children’s movie for at least an hour before the police broke into her home,you have to ask what the hell was the purpose of the police operation. The police are not equipped to deal with such situations,that’s why we keep seeing vulnerable people killed at the hands of police.”

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories,analysis and insights.Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.

License this article