<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>I quite agree, Pamela. <br><br>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br>On Oct 19, 2012, at 9:17 PM, "Pamela" <<a href="mailto:pam.glisson@insightbb.com">pam.glisson@insightbb.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">This is deplorable and inexcusable.</font></div>
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<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><b>From:</b>
<a title="kvnprl@insightbb.com" href="mailto:kvnprl@insightbb.com">Kevin
Pearl</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="nfbk@nfbnet.org" href="mailto:nfbk@nfbnet.org">NFBK</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 18, 2012 7:33
PM</div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> [Nfbk] Police Taser Blind
Man</div>
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<h1 style="-webkit-hyphens: manual" class="title"><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto"><a href="http://m.guardian.co.uk">m.guardian.co.uk</a></span></font></h1>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">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.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">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.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">The matter is being
investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) after
Farmer made a complaint to the force.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">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.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">"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."</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">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'."</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">Farmer, who has suffered two
strokes, the most recent requiring two months in hospital in March, was
fearful he would suffer another stroke.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">"I walk at a snail's pace.
They could have walked past me, driven past me in a van or said 'drop your
weapon'."</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">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.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">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.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">"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.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">"It then became apparent this
man was not the person we were looking for and officers attended to him
straight away.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">"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.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">"Lancashire Constabulary
deeply regrets what has happened. We have clearly put this man through a
traumatic experience and we are extremely sorry.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">"We have launched an urgent
investigation to understand what lessons can be learned and the matter has
been referred to the IPCC."</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">Farmer says he is taking legal
action against the force and wants the officer involved charged with
assault.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">A 27-year-old man carrying a
samurai sword was later arrested on suspicion of being drunk and
disorderly.</span></p>
<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">-A correction was made to the
standfirst on 18 October 2012. "IPPC" was changed to "IPCC".</span></p></div>
<p>
</p><hr>
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