Another of this blog’s occasional hobby-horses is the increasing use by police of Tasers (see here, here and here, for instance). It is remarkable how often these “non-lethal” weapons turn out to be pretty damn lethal.
Last week Jordan Begley, a 23 year old with a heart condition, died after being tasered by Greater Manchester Police. As a senior police officer described the incident in which police were called to a domestic dispute between neighbours, “it is unclear what happened but the man suffered a medical episode”.
Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police added delicately: “Our sympathies are with the family and friends of the man who are going through a traumatic time.” I suppose they are! Is it just possible they might not be enduring such a trauma if police officers had not tasered poor Mr Begley?
Of course, officers could not be expected to know that Mr Begley had a heart condition.
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