Tasers (4)

Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 16 November 2022.

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Photo of Nicholas Rogers Nicholas Rogers Conservative

Please detail the number of times for each year Sep 15 to Aug 16, Sep 16 to Aug 17, Sep 17 to Aug 18, Sep 18 to Aug 19, Sep 19 to Aug 20, Sep 20 to Aug 21 and Sep 21 to Aug 22 when suspects hit by Met tasers were hospitalised. Please also detail the number of deaths following taser strikes during this period.

Photo of Sadiq Khan Sadiq Khan Mayor of London

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) advises me that the instances of Use of Force where one of the outcomes was “hospitalised” has been recorded on the Use of Force recording forms since early 2017.

It is worth noting that there are seven different types of Taser use. The table below indicates the number of times a Taser was fired, used in 3 Points of contact mode, or in direct contact mode by an officer, and where the subject ended up attending hospital. Please note that reporting and recording of use of force is by count of officer using force. Therefore, if 2 officers fired a Taser on one subject, then 2 use of force records will be recorded, as well as 2 ‘results’ from that use of force (i.e., 2 records showing ‘hospitalised’).

In the MPS in the FY 2021-2022 there were 147,372 use of force records. Of these, 5,896 were shown as ‘hospitalised’ and 472 of these involved the use of a Taser. 123 were a firing or direct contact mode use.

The term ‘Hospitalised’ will cover any eventuality where the suspect has attended a hospital, including mental health institutions, for any issues, including those not related to the Taser.

FY

Fired, Angle Drive Stun and Drive Stun & Hospitalised

17-18

86

18-19

142

19-20

134

20-21

175

21-22

123

22- Present

63