[dbaust] Blind man Tasered as police mistake white stick for Samurai sword
- From: "P Tarrant" <tarrp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <dbaust@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:15:14 +1100
Blind man Tasered as police mistake white stick for Samurai sword
Blind man Tasered by UK police
British Police have mistakenly tasered a blind man, after confusing his
walking stick with a samurai sword.
A "terrified" blind man has been hit with a 50,000 volt Taser gun after UK
police mistook his white stick for a Samurai sword.
Stroke victim Colin Farmer, 61, collapsed to the ground in shock after he
was hit in the back with the gun while walking down the street in Chorley,
Lancashire.
Police had received reports of a man walking through the town armed with
the deadly martial arts weapon and raced to the scene to hunt down the
offender.
Meanwhile Mr Farmer, who has suffered two strokes and walks at a "snail's
pace", was on his way to the pub to meet friends for a drink and did not
realise anything was afoot.
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He had no idea a police officer had mistaken his thin white stick for a
machete and ordered him to stop before pulling the trigger on the Taser gun.
Mr Farmer cried out, "I'm blind! I'm blind!" while collapsed on the floor
but was still handcuffed by the officer from Lancashire Police.
"The whole thing was like being trapped in a nightmare," he told the
Chorley Guardian.
Mr Farmer said he heard shouting on the street but did not know what it
was about and thought he was about to be "attacked by some hooligans".
He was then struck by the Taser and fell to the ground, dropping his white
stick on the floor before a policeman handcuffed him.
He was taken to Chorley Hospital for treatment and was later released
following the incident at about 5.45pm last Friday.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Williams, from Lancashire Police, said: "We
received a number of reports that a man was walking through Chorley armed
with a Samurai sword and patrols were sent to look for the man.
"One of the officers believed he had located the offender. Despite asking
the man to stop, he failed to do so and the officer discharged his Taser.
"It then became apparent this man was not the person we were looking for
and officers attended to him straight away.
"Lancashire Constabulary deeply regrets what has happened. We have clearly
put this man through a traumatic experience and we are extremely sorry.
"We have launched an urgent investigation to understand what lessons can
be learned and the matter has also been referred to the Independent Police
Complaints Commission."
Mr Farmer is reportedly considering legal action against the force.
PA
Read more:
http://www.theage.com.au/world/blind-man-tasered-as-police-mistake-white-stick-for-samurai-sword-20121018-27s9j.html#ixzz29e0U9rQJ
Read more:
http://www.theage.com.au/world/blind-man-tasered-as-police-mistake-white-stick-for-samurai-sword-20121018-27s9j.html#ixzz29e0DQ4Z2
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