POLICE say they were forced to use pepper spray and tase a mentally unstable man in St Joseph on Monday
The man was now undergoing treatment at the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital after being pepper sprayed and tased by officers of the Northern Division Task Force West (NDTFW).
According to a report from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) at 6.50 am, NEDTFW officers responded to a report of a mentally ill man armed with a weapon along Hutton Street, St Joseph.
When officers arrived, they saw a man in the middle of the roadway behaving in a hysterical manner towards Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who were trying to render aid to him, the release stated.
The police officers approached the man in an attempt to use persuasion, giving verbal commands to calm down and desist.
But the man ignored the instructions of the police officers and continued behaving violently.
The release stated that police officers became fearful that man could cause injury to himself and others around him and an officer, in keeping with the TTPS’ Use of Force Policy, drew her pepper spray, spraying it in the direction of the man.
The man was sprayed in the face and subsequently kneeled following which officers swooped in and restrained him.
While the police officers were restraining him, the man again began acting violently and attempted to attack the officers.
Another officer, also in keeping with the TTPS’ Use of Force Policy, drew his spark taser, tasing the man twice following which the officers successfully managed to subdue him, the release stated.
