Épée Police Fail.

[mongers]

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A Lancashire Police spokesman said the incident was being investigated and the officer's Taser had been withdrawn.
'Extremely sorry'

Mr Williams said police had "received a number of reports that a man was walking through Chorley armed with a samurai sword".

"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.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-19979184

Good grief there are some astonishingly thick coppers about nowadays, who do you mistake a thin white stick for a metal samurai sword.

[Neil]

You got to be on the alert for knife crime, you know?

[Barrister]

Good grief there are some astonishingly thick coppers about nowadays, who do you mistake a thin white stick for a metal samurai sword.

Because you err on the side of caution, in particular when people do not comply with verbal commands from police.

[Malthus]

Good grief there are some astonishingly thick coppers about nowadays, who do you mistake a thin white stick for a metal samurai sword.

Because you err on the side of caution, in particular when people do not comply with verbal commands from police.

A "taze 'em all, let the Independent Police Complaints Commission sort 'em out" policy? 

[CountDeMoney]

Stick's a stick, man.

[The Brain]

Good grief there are some astonishingly thick coppers about nowadays, who do you mistake a thin white stick for a metal samurai sword.

Because you err on the side of caution, in particular when people do not comply with verbal commands from police.

How would a blind man be aware of those commands?

[merithyn]

Because you err on the side of caution, in particular when people do not comply with verbal commands from police.

He was blind and hadn't done anything wrong. Why would he assume that an officer was yelling at him to "drop the sword"?

[garbon]

Good grief there are some astonishingly thick coppers about nowadays, who do you mistake a thin white stick for a metal samurai sword.

Because you err on the side of caution, in particular when people do not comply with verbal commands from police.

Which is rather bullshit as the only real reason to immediately obey cops is that if you don't they'll likely kill you.

[CountDeMoney]

the only real reason to immediately obey cops is that if you don't they'll likely kill you.

Shame more people aren't always that reasonable.

[Richard Hakluyt]

The level of risk that a police officer faces in the UK, especially in a place like Chorley, simply does not permit this sort of stupid shoot first attitude.

[CountDeMoney]

The level of risk that a police officer faces in the UK, especially in a place like Chorley, simply does not permit this sort of stupid shoot first attitude.

YOU DONT KNOW THAT

[mongers]

The level of risk that a police officer faces in the UK, especially in a place like Chorley, simply does not permit this sort of stupid shoot first attitude.

Yes, but I think it's less a policy and more a very stupid copper caught up in the hysteria of OMG there's a man loose with a samurai sword.

[mongers]

Good grief there are some astonishingly thick coppers about nowadays, who do you mistake a thin white stick for a metal samurai sword.

Because you err on the side of caution, in particular when people do not comply with verbal commands from police.

Why am I not surprised by your response, oh willing drone.

[merithyn]

Good grief there are some astonishingly thick coppers about nowadays, who do you mistake a thin white stick for a metal samurai sword.

Because you err on the side of caution, in particular when people do not comply with verbal commands from police.

Why am I not surprised by your response, oh willing drone.

Didn't expect that from you.

[Barrister]

The level of risk that a police officer faces in the UK, especially in a place like Chorley, simply does not permit this sort of stupid shoot first attitude.

You'd be surprised the level of risk a police office faces even in fairly "safe" communities.

It only takes one deranged person with a samurai sword, after all...

I remember talking with a cop about a samurai sword case.  He was called out to a report of a guy walking down the street waving a samurai sword on Christmas Day.  The cop told me he had a sinking feeling that he was going to have to shoot this guy on Christmas Day if he wouldn't drop the sword.

Thankfully he did, and nobody was shot.

But sadly, a number of people have been shot and killed by police for carrying, and refusing to drop, items that ultimately turned out to be harmless.