Dalian Atkinson

'Ex Villa striker Dalian Atkinson wouldn’t have died in August 2016 had he not been tasered by police for more than 6x the standard duration, and kicked in the head twice by an "angry" police officer, a court has heard. Taser lasted 33 seconds, and the kicks were so hard imprint of laces left on his forehead.'

Let's hope our justice system doesn't fall down where even America recently came through.
 
I think they said at the time that he had been tazered, but that is a long time, of course nothing was said about kicks to the head
 
I struggle to comprehend any situation that requires a policemen to kick someone in the head, especially after they had been tasered for a total of over 30 seconds.
 
Let's not dress this up as anything but murder if this information is correct - if it is then the police officer is not only a disgrace to his profession but also to humanity and hopefully they lock him up and throw the key away.
 
The details that have come out in court are unbelievable! If the two police officers have done everything they are accused of they deserve to have the book thrown at them.

I bet they would have a right jolly time in prison 😮
 

Dalian Atkinson: ex-footballer murdered by police officer in street, jury hears

PC Benjamin Monk alleged to have used Taser weapon on former Aston Villa player in Telford and kicked him in head in 2016
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Dalian Atkinson in 1992 when he played for Aston Villa. Photograph: Allstar/Alamy

Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent
Tue 4 May 2021 13.05 BST
Last modified on Tue 4 May 2021 15.03 BST


The former Premiership footballer Dalian Atkinson was murdered in the street by a police officer, who shot him with a Taser stun gun and kicked him in the head, a jury has heard.

PC Benjamin Monk denies murder and manslaughter following the incident on 15 August 2016 in Telford, Shropshire, which began at the home of Atkinson’s father.

Monk is alleged to have fired a Taser weapon at Atkinson for 33 seconds, or more than six times longer than the standard five-second phase, and while he was on the ground and apparently unresponsive, kicked him in the head twice with such force the imprint of Monk’s laces were left on Atkinson’s forehead. Another officer, PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, is charged with assault causing actual bodily harm, which she denies. She is alleged to have struck Atkinson with a baton while he was on the ground.
Atkinson achieved fame as a striker for Aston Villa football club, which is based in Birmingham. He retired from football in 2001.

A jury at Birmingham crown court heard the prosecutor Alexandra Healy QC open the case.

She said concerned neighbours had called police, with Atkinson shouting and his behaviour described as bizarre and erratic. Monk had used a Taser stun gun on Atkinson twice without any obvious effect, and fired the electric stun gun a third time, which felled the former footballer to the ground in the street outside his father’s home.

Healy said: “PC Monk also proceeded to kick Dalian Atkinson. At least two kicks were delivered by him to Dalian Atkinson’s forehead with enough force to leave the imprints of the pattern of the laces from the top of his boot on two separate areas of Mr Atkinson’s forehead.

“A number of neighbours living in Meadow Close witnessed this attack. Their view was that once Dalian Atkinson had fallen to the ground he was unresponsive and still. He was no longer posing any threat to the officers. Nonetheless the two officers set about him.”

Healy said Atkinson had underlying health problems and about 1.30am had gone to his father’s home in Meadow Close and his shouting in the street had awoken neighbours, who called the police.

The officers had knocked on the door of Atkinson’s father’s home. Atkinson had answered the door and claimed to be the messiah.
Healy said: “On the night of Sunday 14th and early hours of Monday 15th August 2016 Dalian Atkinson’s behaviour was disturbed and erratic.

“They were confronted with a man who was clearly acting in a disturbed and erratic way. They were entitled to use reasonable force to defend themselves or to protect another.

“The prosecution do not criticise their conduct prior to the discharge of the third Taser cartridge.

“However, when the deployment of the third cartridge was completely effective, causing Dalian Atkinson to experience neuromuscular incapacitation and fall to the ground, the prosecution say it was not reasonable to continue to depress the Taser for 33 seconds.

“In kicking Dalian Atkinson in the head not once, but on two separate occasions, PC Monk was not, the prosecution say, acting in self-defence or in defence of another. He was no doubt angry that he had been put in fear by this man.

“He chose to take that anger out on Dalian Atkinson by kicking him in the head. PC Monk was an experienced police officer. His training had taught him and it is obvious that the head is a sensitive area. In kicking Dalian Atkinson to the head PC Monk can only have intended to cause really serious injury.”

Healy told the jury that the former footballer was pronounced dead shortly afterwards: “An ambulance was called to the scene. Whilst this is a matter of routine when a Taser has been deployed, Dalian Atkinson had lost consciousness and was unresponsive before the ambulance arrived.

“Towards the end of the short ambulance journey to hospital Dalian Atkinson went into cardiac arrest. Despite the best efforts of the hospital staff who attempted to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead at 2.45am.

“The pathologists and intensive care expert instructed by the prosecution agree that whilst his underlying health conditions meant that Dalian Atkinson was at a greatly increased risk of dying, were it not for the third Taser deployment and the kicks to his head, Dalian Atkinson would not have died that night.”

The trial of the two police officers is being heard before a jury of 12 people with two alternates, and presided over by the recorder of Birmingham, Judge Melbourne Inman.
It is expected to last into June, although the jury have been warned it could be longer.

The trial continues.
 
To be honest I have not followed this since the actual incident... I had no idea that this is how it transpired.

To taser someone for 33 seconds is beyond belief... and I very much doubt he would have been responsive... To then kick him repeatedly in the head to the point they left imprints of laces is nothing short of vile and abuse.

Id call them animals.. but that's unfair on animals.

I hope they have the book thrown at them.
 
innocent until proven guilty.

unless of course you are being tasered and kicked in the head because a neighbour has described your behaviour as bizarre and erratic.
 
I can understand the deployment of the third tazer, if the first two hadn't worked. I can understand why it might be depressed for longer therefore, but 33 seconds seems an astonishing length of time. Kicking someone in the head while incapacitated is disgusting and obviously very very dangerous. Fear and adrenalin are not a sufficient defence.
 
No one could describe what was allegedly done as reasonable force. Bet it ends up as man slaughter!!!
 
I'm shocked at the details and whilst it's never a good idea to speculate on guilt when a crown court case is ongoing, I'm sure most people will draw their own conclusions.
 
"Why did he die, or did they lie?
I think he's dead, so a doctor said
He was beaten black, He was beaten blue
But don't be alarmed, it was the right thing to do
The Police have the power, Police have the right
To kill a man to take away his life"
 
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