Incident Referred To IPCC

An incident in which a man died after being tasered by police officers has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Reports have revealed that police in Cumbria used the taser during the arrest of a man in his 20s, after they were called to Barrow following reports of a disturbance on the town’s Hartington Street on Tuesday evening (August 16th).

The man was taken to Furness General Hospital after complaining about feeling unwell, but was pronounced dead at around 9pm.

Experts at Irwin Mitchell have repeatedly called for improvements in safety standards and training when it comes to the use and discharge tasers, as the firm acted a 34-year-old Leeds man who was shot twice with one of the devices after he fell into a diabetic coma on the top deck of a bus.

Ifti Manzoor, a specialist in police-related claims at Irwin Mitchell, said: “It is vital that the IPCC investigate this incident to provide answers over the death of this man and whether it can be linked to the use of the taser.

“Our work in the past has shown just how dangerous tasers, and the way that some police officers choose to make use of them, can be.

“The police undoubtedly have a difficult job to do but it is vital that every effort is made to ensure they are fully trained and able to carry it out in the best possible manner.”