Shropshire Star

Dalian Atkinson death: Police union backs Taser use as family seeks answers

The police officers' union has defended its members' use of Tasers following the death of former Aston Villa star Dalian Atkinson in Telford.

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Calum Macleod, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said that officers are expected to deal with situations "that arise in the blink of an eye".

He said any delay in response to an aggressive or armed suspect could result in someone else being killed.

Mr Macleod spoke after police use of the weapons was questioned by the former footballer's nephew Fabian following his uncle's death in Meadow Close, Trench, on Monday.

Fabian Atkinson, nephew of Dalian

Fabian, 31, said he believed that the police panicked and over-reacted, and said they should have found out his medical history before using the weapon.

"I would say, as soon as you deploy a Taser you need to deploy the ambulance as well," he said.

"Before that, as prevention is better than cure, is to find out the history of the patient or said person."

Fabian said his uncle was receiving dialysis for a kidney complaint, and had a heart condition.

"Nobody deserves being tasered in such a way without due care," said Fabian, who had been doing voluntary work in Newport when he was told of Dalian's death.

"I think these situations are sprung by fear.

"It was an argument, I don't know what it was for but I think it was an argument between family. Apparently he stumbled and then they tasered him. This is one thing that has got me angry because of the way the police operated.

"I'm frustrated, annoyed, shocked and overwhelmed. They didn't need to use such excessive force."

  • MORE: Former Villa star had 'threatened to kill father' before Taser tragedy, reports say

  • MORE: Villa pay tribute to Dalian Atkinson in 10th minute of Huddersfield game

But Mr Macleod said that in emergency situations there was no time to check people's medical histories.

"If people had the time to sit there and research medical history and research potential implications, the worst-case scenario could be that someone could be dead," he said.

"Officers are called to deal with situations that arise in the blink of an eye and invariably have to be dealt with within that time-frame.

"We have to be able to run towards danger when it occurs. We have to be able to protect the public and protect ourselves. This is not the panacea to solve every problem but it is an option. It is a tool in a tool kit."

At the height of his career Dalian Atkinson, pictured right with namesake Ron, helped Aston Villa win the 1994 League Cup

The former footballer died about 90 minutes after being tasered by officers from West Mercia Police.

Official figures show that Tasers were used 164 times by West Mercia Police last year, down from 197 the previous year, and the 17th highest out of the 43 forces in England and Wales.

The data showed the weapons were discharged in 21 cases, or 13 per cent of total uses, including 19 in which it was fired. The other two instances were recorded as "angled drive" stuns, where one or both probes from the device attach to the suspect's body, and the Taser is then held against the body in a different area.

A report published earlier this year by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary said that in 2014 West Mercia Police used a Taser the equivalent of 1.6 times for every 10,000 people in the force area, broadly in line with the average for similar forces.

The watchdog said it was satisfied Tasers were being used "fairly and appropriately" by West Mercia Police, although there were two cases where the use was "inappropriate".

One involved a Taser being fired at a man while he was running away, having hidden after committing an assault and pushing a police officer to evade capture.

The other was a man detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act who had locked himself in a room, threatening to attack police if they entered.

Despite safety concerns, the Police Federation supports the wider roll-out of the Taser so all frontline response officers who are willing to carry the weapons would do so.

Last year the weapons were discharged in 19 per cent of cases where they were deployed in England and Wales, down three per cent on 2014. Most officers can opt to do Taser training after their two-year probationary period, involving a three-day course and an annual refresher. Taser use is ranked lower than a baton strike in training for conflict resolution.

Officer numbers have dropped by nearly 20,000 since 2009, and in the face of cuts and the international terrorist threat, some chief constables are planning to roll out Tasers to all frontline officers.

Mr Macleod said: "Resources are thinner. Officers are under greater pressure in relation to reacting to calls, there aren't as many people to respond to calls and assist the public. Many people work in isolated areas where back-up is an hour or an hour and a half away.

"British policing has to be reflective of the current situation. We have to be able to respond to that. If an incident took place that police were unable to respond effectively to, what would that do to public confidence? We need to be alive to what's happening not that far away from us. The public need to be alive to it as well."

A police forensic team examines the scene at Meadow Close

Between 2004 and 2013 there were two inquest verdicts where use of a Taser was deemed to be a significant factor in the deaths, and since then there have been two more.

In October last year, an inquest jury ruled that a 50,000-volt police Taser was the "most likely" cause of death of Andrew Pimlott, 32, who had poured petrol over himself before he was tasered in Plymouth.

In June 2015, another inquest jury concluded the use of a Taser on Jordon Begley, 23, and the way he was restrained by officers from Greater Manchester Police, "more than materially contributed" to a "package" of stressful factors leading to a fatal cardiac arrest.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "The tragic death of Dalian Atkinson has raised deeply concerning issues with the use of Tasers in the UK.

"These weapons must always be used as a last resort, with the same seriousness an armed police officer would give to using a firearm. Despite being non-lethal weapons, under certain conditions they can be fatal.

"The Home Office and the College of Policing must review and then re-emphasise the guidance given to police officers on the use of Tasers. A failure to do so may lead to further tragedies, and public calls for a ban on their use."

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