Man tasered 'for own safety' (From Watford Observer)

Man tasered by police after wielding knife in Rosehill Gardens

11:40am Thursday 13th September 2012 in News By Ben Endley, Senior reporter

A knife-wielding man was hit with a taser by police during a confrontation in Abbots Langley on Friday (September 7).

Officers were called to an address in Rosehill Gardens shortly after 9.30pm over concerns for the man’s own safety.

A resident, who asked not to be named, said police intervened in a domestic incident between a man and a woman.

"I heard a bit of commotion between a man and woman and went up to look out of a bedroom window," said the resident, who had been watching television and was first alerted to the commotion.

The witness heard officers repeatedly shout "drop the knife" then "taser, taser, taser" as the man was shocked.

"As they shocked him he was shouting ‘I haven’t done anything’."

A taser, which fires 50,000 volts, was deployed on the man "for his own safety" according to Hertfordshire Constabulary .

Groups including Amnesty International have criticised the use of the "non-lethal" weapons by police forces, claiming 500 people have died as a result of being shocked since 2001 - a figure contested by the manufacturer.

The American-made stun guns have been used by British forces since 2005 and in that time there have been three taser-related deaths.

The incapacitated man, who is in his 40s, was detained and taken to hospital, no arrests have been made in relation to the incident.

A police spokesman said: "Police were called to a report of concerns for the welfare of a man in his 40s at an address in Rosehill Gardens, Abbots Langley, at 9.35pm on Friday.

"Officers attended the scene and while dealing with the incident a taser was deployed on the man for his own safety.

"Taser is only ever given authorisation to be used in situations where officers face violence or threats of violence of such severity that they need to use force to protect the public, themselves or the subject."