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NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has rejected comments about a "cover up" after details were removed from a holding statement when Clare Nowland was Tasered.
Internal emails obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald uncovered the original draft media release sent for approval on the day Nowland, 95, was Tasered at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma on May 17. She died in hospital six days later.
The draft release was found to have details removed before the final copy was released to the public.
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Webb told 2GB's Chris O'Keefe there was "certainly no cover up here" and she did not direct information to come out of the first draft of the media release.
Webb said it was important the Nowland family heard from investigators before more information was made public.
"Can you imagine being that family and hearing about this situation through the media" Webb told O'Keefe.
"It was our responsibility to tell the family what happened to their mother or their grandmother."
She said the critical incident was upgraded from a level two to a level one, meaning time needed to be allowed for the homicide squad to arrive in Cooma from Sydney.
https://omny.fm/shows/the-drive-program/exclusive-police-commissioner-rejects-claims-of-co/embed
"At that stage we had no witness statements etc, and the other concern we have is any media release or holding statement with too much detail can taint witness accounts in a process."
Webb said they had also previously been criticised by the integrity commission for putting too much detail in releases.
"The holding statement in question is different to a media release and let's not confuse the two," she said.
The draft release said Nowland was holding a knife when officers arrived, and Tasered when officers moved towards her.
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The SMH revealed through freedom of information laws the draft release that was sent to NSW Police Executive Director of Public Affairs Elizabeth Deegan at 10.34am that day.
The draft was edited to remove any mention of the knife or a Taser, where the confrontation occurred, or that an officer was under review.
The documents reveal Deegan then emailed the edited statement to NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson at 1.43pm.
He approved it at 2.09pm.
The final statement sent to media and published online said a critical incident investigation had been launched after "an elderly woman sustained injuries during an interaction with police at an aged care facility in the state's south".
"The 95-year-old woman was taken to Cooma District Hospital, where her condition is being monitored," the NSW Police statement given to the media said.
"A critical incident team will now investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
"That investigation will be subject to independent review.
"No further details are available at this time."
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In NSW parliament today, Police Minister Yasmin Catley was asked what action she would be taking in light of the changes being revealed.
Catley said the media reports were the first she had heard about the edited statement.
"I think that we bear in mind the family, the family has not been informed of this, which is obviously why your question is so vague," Catley said.
"Let's let (the) LECC (Law Enforcement Conduct Commission) do the work we have charged them to do."
The LECC is the watchdog charged with overseeing the investigation into the Tasering incident.
She said it was a level one critical incident and "we should allow that investigation to play its course".
Nowland was a mother of eight, grandmother of 24, and great-grandmother of 29.
Senior Constable Kristian White has been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
He is due to appear in court next month.
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