Man jumps from Chelsea Bridge into the River Thames after being Tasered 3 times by officers INTERNATIONAL

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Man jumps from Chelsea Bridge into the River Thames after being Tasered 3 times by officers

By AdvocateNews on 04/06/2022

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A man is in a 'critical condition' after jumping from a bridge into the River Thames when he was Tasered three times by police officers.

The man was involved in a confrontation with officers from the Met Police on Chelsea Bridge this morning and the incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Shocking video shows the man, who appears to be holding an object in his right hand, shouting at two police officers.

One of the officers fires a Taser and the man falls to the floor, but proceeds to try and get up, at which point he is shocked a second time.

He continues to try and get up and is shocked a third time, while officers shout at him to stay on the floor.

The man then leaps over one of the barriers towards the edge of the bridge, pursued by a police officer, before vaulting over the railings and into the River Thames below.

After falling from the bridge a rescue operation was launched and he taken out of the water by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

The Met Police says it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to investigate the circumstances leading up to the use of the Taser.

In a statement the force said officers were called to Chelsea Bridge Road, in west London, at 9.03am this morning after receiving reports that a man was armed with a screwdriver and shouting.

The Met said officers arrived at the scene and challenged a man on Chelsea Bridge before the Taser was discharged.

However, the force said this 'did not enable the officers to safely detain him' and the man, thought to be in his 40s, 'subsequently entered the river'.

The man has been taken to hospital where his condition is described as critical.

Detectives are in the process of contacting the man's family, the Met added. They will be supported by specialist officers.

The Met's own professional standards department will investigation in addition to the IOPC probe.

Detective Chief Inspector Rory Wilkinson said: 'My thoughts are with this man, who is extremely unwell in hospital. Officers are making every effort to make contact with his family.

'I understand that there are always concerns about incidents in which people come to harm having been in contact with police.

'All Met officers know that they are accountable for their actions, and a full investigation is under way to establish exactly what happened.' (Daily Mail)

PHOTO: After being Tasered three times, the man then gets up and jumps over the safety barrier and railings into the River Thames

Posted 04/06/2022 9:38:16 PM

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