Police Taser ‘old’ shoplifter twice and leave his face a bloodied mess
Police Taser ‘old’ shoplifter twice and leave his face a bloodied mess by stamping on him on the ground
Man, 60, was arrested in Stevenage city centre just before 3pm yesterdayFootage showed the moment the man was Tasered twice by a police officerAndy Symonds, 36, said he thought the man was stopped after shopliftingAn ambulance had to be called to the scene after the man’s face was bloodied He was arrested on suspicion of assault on a police officer and criminal damage
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A police officer Tasered an ‘old’ shoplifter twice before leaving him a bloodied mess by ‘stamping’ on his back yesterday.
The 60-year-old man was arrested by six officers in a busy shopping area of Stevenage in Hertfordshire just before 3pm on Tuesday.
Footage showed the moment the man was Tasered twice before an officer stamped on his back as he lay on the ground.
Andy Symonds, 36, from Welwyn Garden City, Herts, said he believed the man was stopped by police after a Tesco worker accused him of shoplifting.
An ambulance had to be called to the scene to treat the man after his face was left covered in blood. Hertfordshire Police said he was treated for a ‘minor cut’ and later discharged with no serious injuries.
The force added that ‘a physical altercation occurred and the man reportedly took the PC’s body worn video camera and damaged it by throwing it to the floor’.
The man was arrested on suspicion of assault on a police officer and criminal damage. He remains in custody.
The 60-year-old man (pictured) was arrested by six officers in a busy shopping area of Stevenage in Hertfordshire
Footage showed the moment the man was Tasered twice before an officer stamped on his head as he lay on the ground
The footage, filmed by Mr Symonds, first shows two male officers and a female officer trying to restrain the man on the ground before they get off him and one of the male officers draws his Taser on the man.
The man gets to his feet and steps towards the officer with his arms outstretched and is immediately Tasered, causing him to drop to the ground.
The officer says: ‘Right, you’ve been Tasered mate.’
When the man tries to get up the officer shouts ‘stay down’ and another Taser shot can be heard.
As another male officer arrives at the scene, the man is lying facing away from the cop who fired the Taser, who then shouts ‘put your hands behind your back’.
The man has his back to the male officer holding the Taser when the cop appead to stomp on his upper back, sending his face into the concrete ground.
As another male officer arrives at the scene, the man is lying facing away from the cop who fired the Taser, who then shouts ‘put your hands behind your back’
The footage, filmed by Andy Symonds, first shows two male officers and a female officer trying to restrain the man on the ground before they get off him and one of the male officers draws his Taser on the man
Three officers then attempt to handcuff the man as the camera moves to show the man’s bloodied face, with blood drops on the concrete.
Mr Symonds, a car transporter, called the response ‘disgusting’. He said: ‘The bloke clearly wasn’t a strong old man. There was no active violence from him whatsoever.
‘He got up off the floor and he had his hands up when the Taser was out and the officer shot him. When he was on the floor with his back to the officer he had no threat of violence.
‘The officer kicked him with such force that his head smashed into the floor and he had a bloody face. As soon as the police officer kicked him they called for an ambulance because he realised what he’d done.’
As the clip ended a bystander said ‘he’s got a big cut on his head from the kick they just gave him’.
Blood dripped onto the floor as police officers cuffed and arrested the man
A female officer asked if anyone had a first aid kit before another male officer told his colleagues to call for an ambulance.
A spokesman for Hertfordshire Police said: ‘Shortly before 3pm yesterday (Tuesday 19 October) police became aware of a male reportedly acting anti-socially in Stevenage town centre.
‘The male appeared intoxicated and has become highly aggressive when approached by the police officer and two PCSOs in attendance.
‘A physical altercation has occurred and the man has reportedly taken the PC’s body worn video camera and damaged it by throwing it to the floor.
‘The man has allegedly continued to be aggressive and the PC has been unable to physically restrain him despite numerous attempts. As a result PAVA and then Taser were eventually deployed before he was detained.
‘The man has suffered a minor cut to his face as a result of officers’ continued attempts to detain him.
‘The injury was treated by ambulance staff at the scene and later taken to Lister Hospital as a precaution, however he was later discharged with no serious injuries.
‘A 60-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault on a police officer and criminal damage. He remains in custody at this time.’
