Police in Lancashire have Tasered a 61 year old blind man with a white stick after mistaking it for a samurai sword.
Jenny Jones has called for a halt to Met Commissioner’s plans to increase
police use of Tasers in London
The Metropolitan Police Authority, before its abolition, had opposed the wider roll out of Tasers to non-firearms officers because of concerns that an increase in the deployment of Tasers, which the MPA believed to be widely perceived as oppressive, could weaken the confidence of the public in the police.
Responding to the news Jenny Jones, Assembly Member said:
“The Mayor must urgently review any plans to roll out Tasers in London. The Metropolitan Police Authority put real restraints on the police use of Tasers as it recognised the danger of every officer being armed in that way. Sadly, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Hogan-Howe, has made clear his intention to expand their use, but this case, along with many others, shows the problems of their widespread adoption.”