Edwin Afriyie, 36, had his arms crossed and was standing away from police when he was thrown by London City police after a traffic jam. Officers at the scene had claimed in written statements that Afriyie was “stepping up to attack officers” and had adopted a “fighting stance”. The social worker is suing the force for assault / battery and malpractice in a public office, claiming that he was illegally handcuffed and the teaser. London police denied the allegations, saying the use of force was “necessary and reasonable”. Afriyie was driving friends behind a party in East London in April 2018 when he was pulled over by police in City. Police told him they thought he was running fast, but he was never prosecuted for it. He thinks he was stopped because he was a black man driving a Mercedes. He underwent a breathalyzer test and was arrested after the machine repeatedly failed to record a result. He was asked to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed, but he pulled his hands away, saying he had been told to stop blowing on the device. While standing apart from the officers and discussing facts with his friend, he accepted Tasered on the chest. Afriyie fell backwards and hit his head on a stone window ledge. Medical records show that he lost consciousness for a while. He suffered a head injury and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress. He said the incident made him commit suicide. London police say he did not lose consciousness. David Hughes, representing Africa in the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Wednesday, said officials had repeatedly lied in their statements to justify Tasering after the incident. “No honest man could describe Mr Afriyie as ready to attack anyone,” he said. “If this Tasering was justified, the officers would not have to embellish their accounts.” Police are said to be using Taser when there is a serious threat of violence. Shortly after his arrest, video evidence showed Afriyie being told by an officer, “The reason you took Tasered is not to do as you are told.” Judge Jonathan Salmon said Afriyie’s reaction to the arrest “was not the best”, but added: “Your best point is, why was this Taser used?” Mark Lay-Morgan, a spokesman for the City of London police, said Afriyie was “aggressive” when he pulled his hands away from police and said: “I do not. [being arrested]. » He was handcuffed while he was incompetent on the sidewalk and was transported by ambulance to the Royal Hospital in London. His handcuffs were removed only at the request of medical staff. Afriyie was called to the hospital for a blood test, but offered to have a urine test, saying he had a phobia of needles. Lay-Morgan said that did not happen, noting the vaccinations and acupuncture he had received in the past. Lay-Morgan claimed that Afriyie had deliberately failed to blow hard enough in the breathalyzer tests and that she was not complying with the police. Afriyie denied this. Afriyie told police he had “respiratory problems” and the court heard he had seen a doctor as a teenager about the problem. But Lay-Morgan responded that one counselor said he was healthy and that there was no evidence that this affected him as an adult. Afriyie was charged with failing to provide a sample for analysis. When the prosecutor was ordered by the judges to provide footage from a camera worn by the body, he referred the case. In a witness testimony in court, Afriyie said of the aftermath of the incident: “I began to feel I had to give up my life. I was a shell of the man I was before. “I was always proud, strong black. Now I was questioning everything about my appearance and identity. I thought I was a target now because of my appearance. I do not think that things would have escalated as they were if it were not for my appearance. “
