Last Updated on: 18th May 2017, 10:44 am
Remember that time the British cop tased a blind guy because he thought his white cane was a samurai sword? Well, the wheels of justice have turned as the wheels of justice do, and the hammer of harsh punishment has been swung squarely in the direction of the officer in question. As such, it has been so ordered that PC Stuart Wright offer victim Colin Farmer a sincere pat on the back and a sorry ’bout that, lil buddy at a time and location yet to be determined.
In a statement, Lancashire constabulary said: “The officer was dealt with under stage 3 of the Police (Performance) Regulations 2008 for gross incompetence by a panel made up of Assistant Chief Constable Tim Jacques, Chief Supt Richard Goodenough-Bayly and Mr Ashley Judd, the constabulary’s head of human resources.
“The panel found that the officer failed to perform his duties to a satisfactory standard on October 12, 2012, though his actions did not amount to gross incompetence.
“The officer will be issued with a written improvement notice and be required to demonstrate specific performance improvements over a set timescale. Additionally, the officer has expressed considerable regret over this incident and arrangements will be made for him to offer a personal apology to Mr Farmer.”
Jacques added: “First and foremost I would like to sincerely apologise to Farmer on behalf of the constabulary for what happened that evening and the resulting distress and anxiety he undoubtedly suffered.
“The officer made a dreadful mistake when he discharged his Taser, but was acting on a reasonable and honestly held belief that his actions were necessary to protect the public. The officer did not perform his duties to a satisfactory standard but we did not feel that this amounted to gross incompetence.
“In addition to the findings relating to the individual officer, this investigation has raised a number of issues for the constabulary to consider including the training given to officers carrying Taser.”
A written improvement notice? Well, that changes everything.
Seriously, I hope Farmer still decides to sue the bejesus out of everyone in sight. The department needs to realize that rather than reviewing the training you give to the folks you’re unleashing on the public with weapons after something has gone wrong, you really ought to be doing that before it gets the chance.
