Taser use on patient ‘was not revenge for attack’

POLICE have denied using a Taser on a dementia patient in “retribution” because he assaulted a female officer.

Former farm worker Peter Russell, 58, was stunned several times by the 50,000-volt weapon during a struggle at his home when he refused to go into hospital.

Discussing the incident at Humberside Police Authority yesterday, Coun David Rudd questioned whether the officers had wanted to “sort him out” because a woman had been attacked.

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He said: “What struck me when we saw the female officer had been assaulted, is it possibly human nature? We might all do the same in these same circumstances - you think right, we’ll go in a bit heavy handed now and we’ll sort him out.”

But Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Donald dismissed the suggestion.

“I can assure you that there’s no evidence to say the officers were heavy handed,” he said. “I think the fact there was an officer in tears (Pc Tina Starbuck) probably shows how complex and uncomfortable the situation was and it’s something our officers have to deal with regularly.

“I think the days of officers being heavy handed as retribution are long gone and I can assure you had that been the case those officers would not be in this force.”

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Coun Rudd, a former vice-chairman of the authority, added: “It’s human nature that when a woman is hit a man would think I’m going to sort this person out and react differently had that person not been hit. Certainly as an old fashioned man.”

Authority chairwoman Rosalind Taylor also backed the officers.

She said: “It’s very difficult, having worked on a mental health board, it’s really difficult with a large man with Alzheimer’s who can very quickly get extremely violent and uncontrollable. I would have thought it was entirely appropriate, and probably in a very confined space.”

A doctor called police to the house in Epworth, North Lincolnshire, because he wanted Mr Russell sectioned under the Mental Health Act and felt ambulance staff would not be able to cope.

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Police said Mr Russell, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, became “extremely violent” when the first officer, Pc Neil Clarke, arrived and he requested back-up.

The next two officers on the scene were Pc Starbuck and PCSO Stewart Pearson and the Taser was fired after Pc Starbuck was assaulted.

Despite the firing of the weapon, which is intended to briefly incapacitate by disrupting muscle control, Mr Russell ripped the barbs out of his chest and had to be physically restrained until three more officers arrived.

He was eventually carried out of the property with his arms and legs strapped and taken to a mental health unit in Scunthorpe, where he had to be repeatedly sedated.

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Two officers suffered minor injuries in the incident on March 6.

Humberside Police were forced to defend the officers’ actions last week following widespread concern after the Yorkshire Post revealed a Taser had been used in the incident.

The Alzheimer’s Society said it was “very alarmed” by the use of the weapon on someone with the condition, which it said must have been “particularly distressing” for him.

Mr Russell’s wife Diane, 50, also claimed the incident could have been avoided and said a Taser should not have been used.

“There has to be a kinder way of doing this,” she said.

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However, Supt Christine Kelk said the officers had handled a difficult situation extremely well, adding: “We were there to help the doctor, to help Peter, and to make sure he got the right kind of medical attention.

“But somebody had to get him to hospital and because it was not safe for an ambulance crew to do that the police stepped in. That’s what we do - protect the public.”