Why did the policeman taser the blind man..?

**Neo** · 19-10-2012, 02:05 AM

Because he though his white stick was a Samurai sword..

Police use Taser on blind man after stick mistaken for sword

A police force has apologised after an officer used a Taser on a blind man whose white stick was mistaken for a sword.

Colin Farmer, 61, was stunned by police following reports of a man walking through Chorley with a samurai sword.

Ch Supt Stuart Williams, of Lancashire Police, said the force had "deep regrets" and had "clearly put this man through a traumatic experience".

Mr Farmer was taken to hospital for treatment and later discharged.
"It felt like I was grabbing an electricity pylon," he said.
Mr Farmer, who has suffered two strokes, said he thought he was being attacked by thugs.

He was walking to a pub to meet friends on Friday when the officer fired the Taser.
It forced him to drop his stick and he fell to the ground, he said.
He said the experience had left him "shaking like a leaf" and scared to go outside.

The case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
A Lancashire Police spokesman said the incident was being investigated and the officer's Taser had been withdrawn.

Ch Supt Stuart Williams Lancashire Police
"A description of the offender was circulated to officers and patrols were sent to look for the man," he said.
"One of the officers who arrived in Chorley believed he had located the offender.
"Despite asking the man to stop, he failed to do so and the officer discharged his Taser."

Mr Williams said it "became apparent that this man was not the person we were looking for and officers attended to him straight away", taking him to Chorley Hospital.

He added that the force "deeply regrets what has happened".

"We have clearly put this man through a traumatic experience and we are extremely sorry for that," he said.
"We have launched an urgent investigation to understand what lessons can be learned."
A man carrying a samurai sword was later arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.

BBC News - Police use Taser on blind man after stick mistaken for sword

**Neo** · 19-10-2012, 02:10 AM

Mr Williams said it "became apparent that this man was not the person we were looking for and officers attended to him straight away", taking him to Chorley Hospital.

Bullshit. Colin Farmer said on a radio interview today that the officer forced him to the ground and hancuffed him, despite Mr Farmer repeatedly pleading that he was blind.

**dirtydog** · 19-10-2012, 03:01 AM

Taser? UK Police need something with a bit more oomphh to it to stop these complaints about being tasered and that, give erm guns, big ones, .45 and let them go wild on these thugs.

**kingwilly** · 19-10-2012, 03:24 AM

Ouch!

**Lantern** · 19-10-2012, 04:26 AM

Interesting to hear British cops take on this.

BBC: Taser Used on Blind Man Mistaken as Sword Wielder - News - PoliceSpecials.com Forum

**kmart** · 19-10-2012, 10:58 AM

The cop might have seen that film with Rutger Hauer playing the blind ninja assassin.

**Orrens** · 21-10-2012, 07:08 AM

Several points here.
He was doddering along using a white cane two feet long. He was obviously not a candidate to be a nutter with a sword.

Also I thought the police had to give warning and a chance for the person to get on the ground. They just shot the guy.

To me its obvious that the more you arm the police but the more they will use their toys on us. The innocent the decent. I mean criminals fight back don't they.

Orrens

**crippen** · 21-10-2012, 07:23 AM

What happens if one is deaf,and therefor does hear the order to stop? Tazer him I suppose.

**FlyFree** · 21-10-2012, 08:50 AM

Seems the cops in the UK are getting as yellow as those in the US.

A stick mistaken for a sword? FFS. And they couldn't try, or were too shit scared, to apprehend a 60+ year old guy?

If the cops are that yellow, who can blame the yellow bystanders if they just stand and watch crime on the streets. The spineless modern generation.

**The Fresh Prince** · 21-10-2012, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by Neo

"We have launched an urgent investigation to understand what lessons can be learned."

Don't tazer unarmed blind people?

**Mozzbie47** · 21-10-2012, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Taser? UK Police need something with a bit more oomphh to it to stop these complaints about being tasered and that, give erm guns, big ones, .45 and let them go wild on these thugs.

Im'e inclined to agree, cops in Ozz have guns, cant use em, cops in Ozz have tasers, be carfull if you use em, cops in Ozz have capcicum spray, be carfull if you use it. What it boils down to is cops have no authority now, no power, if they do use any of the above, they go before a pannel who decide if they were within there rights to use such force. This country, Ozz and I think the UK, is falling apart because people are not responcable fore their own actions, we are dealing with ass holes, I believe you kick ass to show what is correct and what is wrong.
Most of this trouble stems from effin do gooder and cival liberty morons.

**VocalNeal** · 21-10-2012, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by FlyFree

The spineless modern generation.

Office workers in uniforms?

**ENT** · 23-10-2012, 02:53 PM

Cops are isolated, they have their own brand of logic, philosophy, the lot.

People generally hate them, or at best distrust them in nearly every country I know.

If they ever get out of their ivory tower privileged mentality and start to become human and part of the community, people would respect and cooperate with them.

As it stands now, cops have lost the trust people once had for them, and the result is that cops are becoming increasingly isolated from normal people and behaviour.

Targeting a blind man with a stick really shows the mental framework that cop was in, totally removed and isolated from reality.

Thread: Why did the policeman taser the blind man..?

Thread Tools

Display

Why did the policeman taser the blind man..?

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

Posting Permissions