Police Taser Man In Hospital Disturbance

A Taser gun has been used on a man who was threatening hospital staff with a syringe.

The Taser was used to suppress the man who is reported to have been also threatening to stab himself at the Royal Preston Hospital on Tuesday night.

A 37-year-old man had been arrested on a public order offence and is to be questioned.

It is understood that staff called police just after 11.20pm and were then authorised to use a Taser when efforts to calm him down failed.

A spokesman for Lancashire police said that "the man recovered quickly" from the effects of the Taser.

"I believe the actions of the officers prevented him from causing serious harm to either himself or staff," he said.

A Taser is an electroshock weapon which causes temporary incapacitation. The use of Tasers has become controversial following incidents of Taser use which have resulted in injury and death.

Brian Loan, 47, from Sacriston, County Durham, died three days after being shot with a Taser gun by police in October 2006.

His family later hit out at a coroner's verdict that his death was from natural causes, having ruled that he died from long-term heart disease.

But his sister, Barbara Hodgson, said the father-of-seven was in good health, ate well, took regular exercise and had never complained of chest pains.

She said his death was solely the result of police action and the use of the controversial Taser gun, which discharges up to 50,000 volts.

Gateshead coroner Terence Carney heard how Mr Loan was involved in a two-and-a-half hour siege at his Lilac Avenue home on the evening of October 10.

Detective Inspector Steve Winship, of Durham Police, said Mr Loan had threatened to chop up his cousin's daughter and bury her remains.

(DS)