Page last updated at 10:41 GMT, Monday, 31 August 2009 11:41 UK

Probe into police 'Taser' arrest

A police officer with a taser
Taser stun guns are used by police to disable a suspect

A police force is to be investigated after a man alleged its officers assaulted him and fired a Taser stun gun at his head as he was arrested.

The 45-year-old filed a complaint against South Wales Police who arrested him on 15 August on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage.

The man from Briton Ferry, Neath, went to hospital after his arrest where he had stitches to his forehead and nose.

The Independent Police Complaint Commission (IPCC) is investigating.

The police watchdog said it had decided to look into the incident following the complaint.

It said police were called to reports of a man causing criminal damage to a car using a crowbar.

The man, who was arrested, alleged that the officers assaulted him and that a Taser, which uses a 50,000 volt shock to disable a suspect, was deployed and hit his head.

The IPCC said he later received between 10 and 12 stitches to his forehead and three stitches to his nose in hospital.

'Monitoring Tasers'

Tom Davies, IPCC commissioner for Wales, said they were "monitoring the continued roll-out of Taser very closely".

He said: "Following on from the IPCC role in the Home Office's Taser trial, all complaints relating to Taser use are now referred to the IPCC, as this complaint has been."

Mr Davies said the IPCC investigation would establish whether the use of force used to arrest Mr Evans was both "necessary and proportionate".

"The IPCC will also establish... that its use was properly authorised, tactical advice followed and this was in compliance with policy," he added.

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