Britain’s police watchdog is to hold an investigation after officers were filmed firing a stun-gun at their own local black race relations adviser who they apparently mistook for a wanted suspect, the force involved said on Friday.
Judah Adunbi, 63, was shot with the high-voltage Taser gun last Saturday outside his home in Bristol.
Adunbi had been out walking his dog when officers mistook him for a robbery suspect, according to the Guardian. They didn’t know him – or that he was a founding member of the police department’s Independent Advisory Group, an organization formed to improve police-community relations.
“I’ve done no wrong,” he said, the entire incident captured by a neighbor who started filming. “Leave me alone.”
He does make an effort to show he’s not a threat. When an officer says he’s holding his keys in a threatening manner, he puts his hands over his head, then clasps his arms behind his back. Still, the confrontation intensifies.
“I’ve asked you to remain calm,” an officer asks.
“Your sergeant is going to Taser me for whatever reason,” Adunbi says.
His entreaties are not enough. When Adunbi tries to go into his home, the officers stop him at the gate. A struggle ensues, and an officer pulls out a black and yellow stun gun.
“The way I fell backward on the back of my head. I was just paralysed. I thought that was it. I thought they were taking my life,” he told ITV News
Avon and Somerset Police said they had referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
H/T: Reuters
