Use of Taser during disturbance in Jedburgh was ‘necessary’

Specially trained officers deployed the Taser after being called to a disturbance in Howden Road on Monday, June 18 2018.

It was used during the arrest of a 20-year-old man charged with alleged weapons offences.

That incident, along with two separate incidents in Aberdeen and Carluke on June 25 and July 1 respectively, have now been reviewed by the police investigations and review commissioner.

In all three incidents, individuals were armed with weapons and threatening to harm themselves or other members of the public, and an independent report published this week has confirmed that the use of a Taser was appropriate in each incident.

Welcoming the findings, assistant chief constable Mark Williams, operational and specialist support, said: “Our number one priority is the protection of the public and it is really positive that the commissioner has recognised that in all of these incredibly challenging incidents our officers acted professionally.”

The introduction of specially trained officers based in local communities and equipped with a Taser was implemented following an increase in the number of incidents in which police officers have been confronted by people with bladed weapons and an increase in assaults on officers.

The training of around 500 specially trained officers began at the end of May 2018 with the first officers being operational in their local communities from June 1.

As well as the independent scrutiny of our use of Taser, Police Scotland also reviews every incident where it is deployed to ensure its use is proportionate and safe.