The Police Ombudsman has concluded that police were justified in using Taser against an 18-year-old man who was threatening to cut his own throat.
Police received an emergency call from a member of staff at a Belfast hostel for the homeless at around 1.20am on 3 October 2009. The staff member reported that a resident had knives and was cutting himself after being asked to leave the premises.
Two Armed Response Vehicles containing five police officers arrived at the hostel to find the man (Man A) armed with two knives and bleeding from fresh wounds to his arms, neck and forehead.
An officer told Police Ombudsman investigators that the man was in "an agitated state, very unsettled and distressed."
Another officer said that when police arrived at the man's room he began slicing at his arm with a knife.
The officer said he then considered means of preventing Man A causing further self harm. He ruled out the use of handheld batons due to the dangers of approaching an individual armed with a knife, as well as CS Spray which would have affected not only the man but himself and other officers within such a confined space.
The officer said he then took a step into Man A's room, at which point he raised the knife to his chest. The officer then shouted "Taser, Taser" and discharged the weapon, striking him on the chest.
Man A then fell to the ground and was restrained by the other officers. Officers then removed the barbs discharged by the Taser from his skin and provided first aid until the arrival of an ambulance.
When later interviewed by Police Ombudsman investigators, Man A admitted having two small knives which he had used to cut himself after being asked by hostel staff to leave the premises.
He said he threw one of the knives onto the floor when he saw police arriving, but had threatened to cut his throat with the other if police did not leave him alone.
He said officers then rushed towards him, at which point he threw the second knife away. Despite this he said he was struck in the chest by a Taser. He subsequently made a complaint to the Police Ombudsman's Office about the manner in which the Taser had been used, but later withdrew the complaint.
Having considered the evidence of the case, the Police Ombudsman, Al Hutchinson, concluded that the use of Taser during the incident was justified and proportionate to the risks posed by Man A, both to himself and officers at the scene.