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A blind man was Tasered by armed police after his walking stick was mistaken for a gun.

The man, 43, was hit by the stun gun as he waited at Levenshulme railway station on Thursday night.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police had been scrambled to the scene after a witness on the platform called and claimed they had seen a man with a gun.

In fact, the ‘gun’ was the blind man’s cane, which was folded up as the man waited on the platform for a train.

GMP sent officers to the station and one fired a Taser stun gun, which carries a 50,000 volt charge, at the man after he failed to respond to a challenge.

The man, who is thought to be completely blind, was detained but is understood to have collapsed.

The incident has now been referred to GMP’s Professional Standards Branch to investigate.

Tasawar Dar runs the Discount Master convenience store directly opposite Levenshulme Station.

He was working at around 7pm last night when he saw armed police arriving at the scene.

He said: “I heard the police here and they shouted ‘lie down on the ground’ and there was the bark of a dog as well.

“I saw a guy sitting on the stairs of the station and a police officer came into the shop asking for a can of coke. I thought it was for him they went out and gave it to the guy.

“They made him sit on the stairs. He looked to be a reasonable person.

“The police were all armed. They had pistols rather than the big guns.

“It was about six or seven police vehicles and officers.

“I didn’t see it but a friend of mine said he saw them pointing the gun at the man as well.

“They left about half an hour later and then an ambulance came.”

A GMP spokesman said: “Officers were called shortly after 6.40pm on Thursday February 23, 2017 to reports of a man with a gun on Albert Road, Levenshulme.

“Armed response officers attended and a Taser was deployed. A 43-year-old man was detained.

“Officers later discovered the man was in possession of a folding cane and he was subsequently released.”

Superintendent Steve Howard of GMP’s City of Manchester Team, said: “Officers responded quickly to the incident to ensure the safety of the community of Levenshulme.

“It has been established that there was no threat and enquiries are ongoing to fully understand the circumstances of the incident.

“In line with standard procedure on occasions such as this, a referral has been made to GMP’s Professional Standards Branch.”

In 2012, a 61-year-old blind man was Tasered in the back by officers from Lancashire Police who thought his stick was a samurai sword.

He was walking to meet his friends at his local pub in Chorley when the incident happened.

Officers had received a report of a man in the town centre waving a large sword.

Watch: Former North Wales chief constable Richard Brunstrom gets Tasered by his officers

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One of the officers fired his stun gun into the man’s back, then knelt on the man’s back and handcuffed him as he lay on the ground.

The victim brought a legal action against the force and was paid an undisclosed sum.

In 2013, factory worker Jordan Begley, 23, died two hours after being Tasered at his home in Gorton.

He was also punched and restrained by armed officers, who believed he had a knife.

Do you know the blind man who was Tasered? Call the newsdesk on 0161 211 2471.