A police officer was captured on video kicking a man who had just been tasered as he was arrested for shoplifting.
Sussex Police said that it would investigate the incident which was reported in The Argus today (Tuesday 9 July).
The video, which shows the man falling to the ground from the electric shock of the taser when an officer kicks him, has been uploaded to YouTube.
The force said: “At 6.18pm on Friday 5 July we received a report that a member of staff at Sainsbury’s, Western Road, Brighton, had been pushed to the ground by a man who was attempting to steal food and drink from the store.
“Local officers traced the man to the seafront nearby and at 6.33pm they confirmed that it had been necessary to taser him in order to carry out a safe arrest.
“The man was arrested on suspicion of theft and obstructing police, and received health and welfare checks to ensure that he was unharmed.
“He was later released on police bail until (Friday) 26 July while inquiries continue into those alleged offences.
“We have received no complaint from the man about the actions of the officers and the video was drawn to our attention at midday on Monday (8 July).
“It has now been referred to our Professional Standards Department who will examine it thoroughly, along with the full facts surrounding the incident, including what occurred before the actions shown in the video.
“It is important that we establish a detailed account of events from all available sources, as well as this video clip, before deciding on any further action.
“All suggestions of police misconduct are taken seriously and are carefully assessed, and action is taken whenever appropriate.”
Blimey, the burley dark haired copper seems to have lost the plots!
Screaming and kicking a man who has just had a massive electric shock and fallen flat on his face. No need to go quite that mental – the prisoner seemed handcuffed, and more importantly, surrounded by 5 coppers. And perhaps even more importantly, no need to go mental like that at someone who appears at best unconscious, or at least immobile.
YouTube shows us too many vids where someone fails ‘the attitude test’ and then has the crisp beaten out if them. Then they are subsequently charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Often the only defence they have is mobile phone footage. In the old days it would have been straight to prison for merely checking a policeman.
Mind you, I’d have given the Sainsburies lout a quick kick too.
Not one of those coppers looks like they know what they are doing or understand the conequences of what they have done. Are the right people being recruited to do this job?
It just shows you what the police are capable of. No-one stands a chance of defending themselves against a group of police with there trungeons, tasers, and what ever else they are trained to use, this is a disgrace the poor man was probably hungry to have stolen the food in the beginning, he doesn’t exactly look well fed, then attacked for it by the people we bring our children up to trust. Throw the police officer in jail because if it was the other way round the other man would have been jailed for ages. This is not a trained police officer just an wild animal with a badge.
This officer should be ashamed of himself u only have to look at the lad to see that he looks starving so skinny he looks ill! I also think the electric shock that was used was well over board I’m sure the thug who had administered the shock didn’t need to keep pressing it that poor man looked unconscious very dangerous the way he fell could have killed him when he hit his head shame on you!!!! There are so many people going hungry because the system is letting thousands of people down the world has gone to pot may be he’s been looking for work its not easy to get a job these days! these days no one should be put in this situation unfortunately it’s happening more and more I wish the young lad all the best!! OFFICER you should not be in charge of such a dangerous machine your just finger happy don’t abuse your l position.!! OFFICER WHO KICKED you are a just a thug who should not be allowed to get away with this just because u are called an officer does not give u the right to let it go to your head you should be ashamed of yourself I’m sure a lot of people will agree with me name and shame these officers they should not be allowed to get away with this but I bet they will
Well if you look at the kick. It’s a smart one just below the buttocks. And it’s one smart sharp kick. I would guess that the officer thought to push the man forward from his upright position onto the ground designed to put the suspect onto the ground in a prone position The taser seems to have shocked the suspect into standing bolt upright. The offices are unable to touch the suspect for fear of getting an electric shock themselves. So a quick kick in the pants avoids the shock and pushes the weight of the man forward onto the ground.
Once on the ground the man is required to show his hands so that officers can then cuff him. But I would imagine it’s difficult to listen or obey instructions when you have just been tasered, are probably inebriated and are unconscious or on shock. So screaming “show me you hands” would probably sound to the man like the teacher sounds to the kids in the Charl;ie brown cartoon “waa waa waa waa waawaaa”
Maybe this shows that police who use the taser should wear rubber gloves or plimsoles in order to avoid kicking suspects over, getting electric shocks and shouting at unconscious bodies
Mark, the voltage was discharged, not ongoing. If the officer was not going to get a shock kicking his victim with his steel-toed boot, then none of the lazy coppers just standing around shrilling madly at the boy, hysteria-driven (instead of implementing their defusion of situation training)were going to get a shock breaking the boy’s fall or cuffing him while he was incapable and ensuring he did not fall.
Wanting him to fall and kicking him down to hasten it is assault in my view. A chargeable offence. He could have been seriously injured falling the way he did – lucky not to get a fractured skull or die from the blow causing internal bleeding into the brain.
If any of that lot get away without a serious problem from their senior commanding officers then we have no hope of ever being able to trust that police officers are properly trained and supervised OR ACCOUNTABLE. Retraining, demotion, fine them or just sack ’em is bare minimum.