16/06/2009

Police Watchdog Investigates Taser Footage

Video footage of a man being shot twice by a 50,000-volt police Taser gun while lying on the ground has been passed on to a police watchdog to examine.

The man was filmed struggling during the incident on Sunday night, as he was tasered for a second time, as two officers tried to arrest him when he was lying in the road outside Nottingham's Theatre Royal.

However, when they get into difficulty, the officer with the Taser was seen to order his colleagues to let go of the man.

The two male officers were then joined by two other officers who ordered the man to put his hands out. The officers grappling with the man stood back and shouted "Taser, Taser, Taser", before the current was fired.

In the video, one of the four officers trying to arrest the man is also seen to punch him in the head before back-up arrives.

The footage shows the man rolling in agony on the ground in Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham.

Meanwhile, a woman behind the camera is heard to say: "Look at his face, did you get that? He don't look like he is resisting."

The man, who shot the footage, also said: "Yeah, I can't wait to put it [the footage] on YouTube."

A crowd of about 30 to 40 people can also be seen in the video, who start to question the police's actions and the video was then given to local radio station Trent FM. It has also been posted on YouTube.

Nottingham Police said no complaint had been made, but they were referring the recording to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Assistant Chief Constable Peter Davies said: "We understand that some members of the public may be concerned about this.

"The public's trust and confidence is very important for us, which is why we have referred this matter for an objective investigation to the IPCC."

The Taser consists of two darts on the end of wires containing a 50,000 volt shock, and according to guidelines for the Association of Chief Police Officers, Tasers must not be used indiscriminately.

A spokeswoman for the police watchdog also said: "IPCC investigators are currently assessing the incident and a decision on the level of IPCC involvement will be made in due course."

The man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and released on police bail.

(JM/BMcc)

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