[Nfbk] Police Taser Blind Man

[Scott Spaulding]

I quite agree, Pamela. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 19, 2012, at 9:17 PM, "Pamela" <pam.glisson at insightbb.com> wrote:

> This is deplorable and inexcusable.
>  
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Kevin Pearl
> To: NFBK
> Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 7:33 PM
> Subject: [Nfbk] Police Taser Blind Man
> 
> 
> 
> m.guardian.co.uk
> 
> An innocent blind man was shot in the back with a 50,000-volt Taser by police after they mistook his white stick for a samurai sword.
> 
> Colin Farmer, 61, was hit after reports of a man walking through Chorley, Lancashire, early on Friday    evening, with a sword. He said he initially thought he was being attacked by hooligans when he was struck by the Taser.
> 
> The matter is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) after Farmer made a complaint to the force.
> 
> Farmer, who used to run an architects' practice, was on his way to meet friends at 5.45pm and was walking in Peter Street near a restaurant. "I was just walking along and I heard some men shouting really angrily and thought I'm going to get mugged. I didn't know any police were here.
> 
> "The Taser hit me in the back and it started sending all these thousands of volts through me and I was terrified. I mean I had two strokes already caused by stress. I dropped the stick involuntarily and I collapsed on the floor face down."
> 
> He added: "I was shaking and I thought 'I'm going to have another stroke any second and this one is going to kill me. I'm being killed. I'm being killed'."
> 
> Farmer, who has suffered two strokes, the most recent requiring two months in hospital in March, was    fearful he would suffer another stroke.
> 
> "I walk at a snail's pace. They could have walked past me, driven past me in a van or said 'drop your weapon'."
> 
> Lancashire Police apologised to Farmer for the "traumatic experience" but confirmed last night that the officer who fired the Taser has not been suspended and remains on duty.
> 
> Chief superintendent Stuart Williams, from Lancashire Police, said: "We received a number of reports that a man was walking through Chorley with a Samurai sword and patrols were sent to look for him.
> 
> "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.
> 
> "He was taken to Chorley Hospital by officers who stayed while he was checked over by medics. They then took him to meet his friends in Chorley at his request.
> 
> "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 been referred to the IPCC."
> 
> Farmer says he is taking legal action against the force and wants the officer involved charged with assault.
> 
> A 27-year-old man carrying a samurai sword was later arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.
> 
> -A correction was made to the standfirst on 18 October 2012. "IPPC" was changed to "IPCC".
> 
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