Dad tasered by police at petrol station to sue force

Ziggy Desmond Mombeyarara has expressed his ‘disappointment’ of an IOPC ruling which clears the officers of any wrongdoing

Rory Sullivan
Friday 25 June 2021 19:43 BST
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<p>A picture shows the Greater Manchester Police Headquarters in Manchester. </p>

A picture shows the Greater Manchester Police Headquarters in Manchester.

A father who was tasered by police in front of his five-year-old son is suing for damages, his lawyers have confirmed.

Ziggy Desmond Mombeyarara, 35, who is a black NHS worker, was stopped by two Greater Manchester Police officers on 6 May last year in Stretford for driving at 72mph in a 30mph zone.

They then shot him seven times with a Taser in a petrol station forecourt, later saying they did so because he refused to be breathalysed and constituted a threat.

A video of the incident - in which Mr Mombeyarara’s son can be heard crying “Daddy” after he is tasered and slumps to the ground - went viral last year.

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) determined last week that the officers had acted justifiably and had not committed a criminal offence.

However, the IOPC said it believes policies surrounding the use of Tasers need to be clarified.

The IOPC added that it found no evidence that the “complainant’s ethnicity was a factor in the decision to use force against him”.

Its findings were based on statements from an eyewitness and the officers involved, as well as analysis of footage on the officer’s body cams, CCTV and social media.

In a statement released by his lawyers on Thursday, Mr Mombeyara contested the IOPC’s ruling and expressed his “disappointment” at the decision.

The law firm Scott-Moncrieff and Associates Limited said: “We are of the firm opinion that the extremely disturbing use of a Taser on Mr Mombeyarara, as seen in the video that went viral, was unnecessary, inappropriate and therefore a disproportionate use of force.

“We share Mr Mombeyarara’s disappointment concerning the general conclusions reached by the IOPC. We disagree with the IOPC that in this particular case it was appropriate to use a Taser as opposed to conventional physical restraint techniques.

“It is ultimately for the court to determine whether the police use of force was proportionate in this case.”

Following last week’s announcement by the IOPC, PC Watson, of Great Manchester Police, said the officers had behaved “professionally and proportionately”.

“They made decisions under what were clearly very difficult circumstances, they faced resistance from the driver involved, their response was measured and resulted in a successful conviction,” PC Watson added.

After Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court found him guilty of obstructing two police officers last year, Mr Mombeyarara was given an 18-month conditional discharge.

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