[bbfan1991]

Police have used a Taser on a blind man after they mistook his stick for a sword.

Colin Farmer in Chorley, Lancashire was taken to a nearby hospital to be checked over by medics, but he was discharged shortly afterwards, BBC News reports.

The 61-year-old, who is now looking to pursue legal action against Lancashire Police, recalled: "It felt like I was grabbing an electricity pylon."

Police were cautious when encountering Farmer as there were reports of a man armed with a samurai sword in the area who was determined dangerous.

Farmer, however, was headed to a pub when the incident happened on Friday evening (October 12).

A police spokesman stated: "We have clearly put this man through a traumatic experience and we are extremely sorry for that.

"We have launched an urgent investigation to understand what lessons can be learned."

The actual man the police were looking for was later apprehended for being drunk and disorderly.

WTF? Poor man.

[arista]

He is live on SkyNews now

[Niamh.]

Jesus. He deserves compensation for that and maybe the Policeman needs an eye test himself!

[Alf]

we all make mistakes, if it was a sword and they did nothing there would be uproar

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by wannashag

we all make mistakes, if it was a sword and they did nothing there would be uproar

You'd have thought it's not too difficult to tell the difference between a blind man using a guiding stick and a bloke wielding a samurai sword though, especially from a close enough distance to tazer someone

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by MTVN

You'd have thought it's not too difficult to tell the difference between a blind man using a guiding stick and a bloke wielding a samurai sword though, especially from a close enough distance to tazer someone

Exactly

[Kizzy]

He thought a stick was a sword!?
Unbelieveable....

[Vanessa]

The poor guy deserves compensation.

[Marc]

What tools

[Nedusa]

I don't want to defend the scumbag who wore a "I hate the Pigs" T-shirt or people like him who hate the police with a vengeance, but incidents like these are frankly unacceptable. Anyone with half a brain could distinguish between a nutcase with a samurai sword and a 61 year half blind farmer with a walking stick. I'm surprised they didn't shoot his guide dog as well.

Incidents of trigger happy police who shoot first and ask questions later are all too common and the Public's respect for the police must be fast disappearing. Where is the training ? where is the common sense. Coupled with the crazy way they rush around with sirens blaring which has also resulted in innocent people losing their lives, I just feel too much anti-police sentiment is the result with more criminals happy to "off a couple of Pigs"...!!! Sad times we live in.

[Saph]

we never know though, his walking stick might have actually looked like a sword :s

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by SaphLiike

we never know though, his walking stick might have actually looked like a sword :s

[Ammi]

..crikey MTVN..put that sword away fgs..!!....


...seriously, I hope this guy gets a huge apology and a massive amount of compensation...

[CharlieO]

easy mistake to make, an apology i think is all thats necessary

no doubt the guy will try get moneyz out of it tho

[arista]

"easy mistake to make,"


No you are Wrong.


Dumb Police

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by CharlieO

easy mistake to make, an apology i think is all thats necessary

no doubt the guy will try get moneyz out of it tho

Are you *******ing kidding me....!!!!!!

[Saph]

Originally Posted by MTVN

or not

[Vicky.]

"We have launched an urgent investigation to understand what lessons can be learned."

Main lesson to be learned...officers involved need an urgent eye test and likely some strong perscription glasses.

[Marcus.]

Poor man

[thesheriff443]

the police will get some stick for this.

[GypsyGoth]

Am I the only one who finds this hilarious?

[Alf]

at least he's got a funny story to tell

[joeysteele]

The Policeman concerned maybe needs the white stick not this poor guy.Unbelievable.

[Nedusa]

I heard an update on this story earlier today, apparently the man who is blind and is a stroke victim was walking slowly along the street using his white cane in the normal way a blind person uses a cane swishing it from side to side to detect things he cannot see. A Policeman then started shouting commands at the man who was walking away at about 2mph (since he cannot walk very fast due to his previous stroke). The Policeman not having his commands responded to decided to Taser the man in the back.

From the victims perspective he would have heard loud voices and probably thought they were not aimed at him as he was clearly blind and not able to move very fast in any event, then the sudden excruciating pain....!!!!

There is no justification for this at all, no set of circumstances that could offer even the hope of a mix up or a mistake. Just pure nasty evil, I'm a policeman and you're about to get tasered. Outrageous...whats next ? a report of a small man carrying a gun turns out to be a 10 yr old with a water pistol ?? and gets tasered or worse.

The Police to a certain extent have too much power, this particular Policeman should be thrown out of the force immediately and should lose any pension and should face charges for criminal assault with a deadly weapon. This is basically a vicious assult on an elderly blind stroke victim.

Training is not the issue, anybody with half a brain would have seen this man posed no threat whatsoever yet this so called Policeman decided he would shoot 50,000 volts through this mans body because he never responded to his commands... Hark at him... who the fcuk do you think you are..??? a vicious thug wearing a policemans uniform.

I am so angry about this as it is happening more and more often.

[Mystic Mock]

I am stunned that The Police can't tell the difference between a Walking Stick and a Samurai Sword.