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Activist warns UK govt. of taser use

21 October 2012 00:20 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A Green London Assembly member has warned the British government to rethink plans to roll out the use of taser guns, after police officers struck a 61-year-old blind man with the weapon, APA reports quoting Press TV.

Jenny Jones said that an urgent review was needed over the plans for using the potentially fatal taser guns.

"The Metropolitan Police Authority put real restraints on the police use of tasers as it recognized the danger of every officer being armed in that way,â€ Jones said.

Recently, the British police attacked an innocent blind man with a 50,000-volt stun gun, while allegedly mistaking his white stick for a samurai sword. The 61-year-old Collin Farmer was in danger of being killed from the sudden electrical shock after he was forced to the ground, had his arm wrenched by the police officer and was handcuffed.

"Sadly, Metropolitan police commissioner (Bernard) 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," Jones added.

Amnesty International arms programme director Oliver Sprague also said the taser guns should only be used under the strictest circumstances involving a threat to life or serious injury.

Meanwhile, British police officers are expected to be armed with more powerful â€œtwo-shotâ€ tasers instead of the single shot stun gun which is currently in use by the police.