A South Australian man has di*d after being hit by a Taser fired by South Australia police, even though police claim the Taser was “ineffective”.
The man, 44, was wielding a metal pole and threatened police officers who were responding to reports of a disturbance in Clare, north of Adelaide.
The man became unresponsive soon after being hit by a taser sh*t that was “ineffective”. 9News
Nine.com.au understands the man was yelling threats at them and damaging property, which led to police unsuccessfully attempting to de-escalate the situation.
Police then Tasered the man, but Assistant Commissioner David O’Donovan said the taser didn’t work properly.
“I do know the Taser was activated, but it was ineffective,” he told media.
Police went to arrest the man, at which point he became unresponsive.
“Police acted instantly to render first aid,” O’Donovan said, but despite paramedics arriving and offering aid, the man di*d at the scene.
Witnesses told 9News they could hear yells of “don’t do it, don’t do it”, before the scene became silent.
O’Donovan said he was unsure of how many times the Taser was fired, and did not elaborate when asked what was meant by the Taser was “ineffective”.
The man was from a town in Gawler called Ward Belt, nearly 100km south of Clare.
“I don’t know why he was in the area,” O’Donovan said, not confirming if he was known to anyone in Clare.
David O’Donovan did not elaborate on how or why the taser was “ineffective”. South Australia Police
There were no other injuries reported to police or to any residents.
O’Donovan said an investigation had begun, with Major Crime and Ethical and Professional Standards detectives looking into the incident that led to the man’s d*ath.
He said the officers were wearing bodycam footage, and that the images would be reviewed as part of the investigation.
The man’s d*ath will also be subject to a Police Commissioners Inquiry, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.