Every frontline uniformed police officer should be offered a Taser stun gun to fight off possible murder attempts by terrorists, says the leader of the body representing rank and file officers in England and Wales.
Steve White, who chairs the Police Federation, said the availability of Tasers needs to be expanded because of evidence of terrorists’ plans to kill officers, who are traditionally unarmed.
In an interview with the Guardian, White said: “The terrorist ideal to get attention no longer relies on an attack being in a place of note. It could be in Cheam high street, in any town, in any part of the UK. We know there are more dangerous people out there, preparing to attack police officers and we need to be able to respond to that threat.”
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Tasers use an electric current of up to 50,000 volts to incapacitate people and critics say the weapon is too often lethal. It has been linked to at least 10 deaths in England and Wales over the past decade. In 2013, factory worker Jordan Lee Begley, 23, died two hours after a Greater Manchester officer targeted him with a stun gun at his home after police were called to reports of an argument.
Read More: Give UK officers Tasers to help fight terror threat, says Police Federation
Niamh Harris
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