British man tasered repeatedly by police

POLICE DRAMA: A still from footage of the arrest in which a man was tasered repeatedly.

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The UK police watchdog has said it would launch a full independent investigation into the arrest of a man who was stunned a number of times by officers using a taser gun.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday when police were called to deal with a man who had been thrown out of a nightclub in Nottingham city centre, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said.

He reportedly then abused officers and allegedly assaulted one as they tried to arrest him. He broke free and ran away before being eventually restrained after officers used a taser weapon on him at least twice.

The arrest was captured on film by a bystander and has been broadcast on TV and on the internet.

"Footage of this incident, which many people will now have seen, is of sufficient concern to merit a fully independent investigation," said IPCC Commissioner Amerdeep Somal.

"We would urge anyone who was present and witnessed this incident at any stage, from outside the nightclub to where the man was restrained, to tell us what they saw."

Last November, the government announced that it would provide funding to allow police chiefs to buy 10,000 more Tasers.

The Home Office said at the time the stun guns would only be used by specialist officers under strict guidelines and would not be routinely used by neighbourhood police officers.

The weapons temporarily disable a suspect by firing two barbed darts trailing electric wires. Human rights groups oppose their widespread use because they have been linked with dozens of deaths in the United States and Canada.

- Reuters