Ex Aston Villa player dead after police use Taser in home incident

FORMER Aston Villa striker Dalian Atkinson has been killed by police in a Tasering incident at his Telford home in the early hours of the morning. 

West Mercia police confirmed that the 48-year-old died after they used the electric weapon to subdue him having been called out to the property at 1.30am on Monday August 15 due to concerns over the ‘safety of an individual’. 

After being struck by the Taser, it is reported that Atkinson, who also enjoyed stints with Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town, received medical attention for 90 minutes before being pronounced dead. 

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called by West Mercia Police to an address in Meadow Close in the Trench area of Telford at about 1.45am this morning.

“An ambulance was dispatched and upon arrival found a man who had been Tasered.

“As he was being conveyed to Princess Royal Hospital, his condition deteriorated and he went into cardiac arrest.

“Despite the efforts of the crew and hospital staff, it was not possible to save him and he was confirmed dead at hospital, shortly after arrival.”

Though he finished his career in South Korea, Atkinson furnished Premier League football in the early 1990’s with some memorable moments, notably a fantastic solo goal against Wimbledon in October 1992 that won Match of the Day’s goal of the season competition as Villa finished the season in second. 

The case will lead to fresh scrutiny over increasing use of Tasers by police forces across the UK. Around one in ten officers are now armed with the devices which administer powerful electric shocks, and the weapons are deployed roughly 10,000 times a year, with multiple deaths resulting.