Police use of baton launcher and Taser was justified

Police use of baton launcher and Taser was justified

A Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC) report has found that police were justified in their use of a baton launcher and a Taser device when they were arresting an armed man.

Officers from Police Scotland were called to the incident on the morning of Saturday 2 June 2018 in Troon, where a 23-year-old man was threatening to injure himself with a large knife.

Armed officers were also present and they spent some time trying to negotiate with the man to surrender his weapon, with no success.

As the man’s behaviour became increasingly erratic, concerns were raised that he posed a threat others as well as himself. As a result, authorised firearms officers (AFOs) initially discharged a baton round and subsequently a conductive energy device - the Taser - to incapacitate him before arresting him.

The PIRC found that officers had responded appropriately when faced with the man’s behaviour, which could have endangered himself and others, including the officers present.

The commissioner said that the use of both the baton round and the Taser device was justified, necessary and proportionate in the circumstances.

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