This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Two West Mercia police officers are under criminal investigation over the death of the former Premier League footballer Dalian Atkinson, who died after he was Tasered three times by police.

The two officers were also being served with gross misconduct notices, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said on Thursday.

Some eyewitnesses have also reported that Atkinson was struck by officers while he was on the ground. One woman has already told the BBC that she saw what she believed was Atkinson being kicked by police.

The IPCC has stressed its decision to launch a criminal investigation does not mean the officers did anything wrong.

The former Aston Villa footballer died after police Tasered him near his father’s home in Telford on Monday.

West Mercia police said officers used a Taser at about 1.30am on Monday after responding to reports of concerns for a person’s safety. The man failed to respond to medical attention and was pronounced dead 90 minutes later.



A postmortem examination was held on Wednesday and the cause of death was inconclusive. Further tests were due to be carried out. The IPCC is liaising with Her Majesty’s coroner.



The key issues in the criminal investigation will be whether the decision to use force was justified and then whether the level of force was proportionate to Atkinson’s behaviour.



One officer fired a Taser three times. Whether Atkinson’s behaviour at the time merited this response will be another key part of the inquiry.

Atkinson’s family welcomed the decision by the IPCC to launch a criminal investigation. They have hired a law firm expert in cases against the police for deaths in custody and experienced in battling the IPCC to conduct a proper investigation.

In a statement the family said: “We are still in shock as to the circumstances in which Dalian died. We are determined to get justice for him, which means getting to the truth. We welcome the IPCC’s decision that this is a criminal investigation and emphasise their request that there should be no speculation in the media as to what happened to Dalian, as this could prejudice the criminal investigation and any potential prosecution.

“We are looking to the IPCC to carry out a thorough and robust investigation that will ultimately provide transparency and accountability. Dalian’s memory requires nothing less.”

Atkinson’s brother, Kenroy, 53, previously said the ex-footballer had undergone dialysis for kidney failure and was “in a manic state and depressed” at the time of the incident.

He said his brother had attacked their 85-year-old father, Ernest, at his home before police were called to the scene.

The IPCC said it would carry out a full and thorough inquiry.

The IPCC commissioner Derrick Campbell said: “Having carefully considered the evidence gathered so far, we are undertaking a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr Atkinson’s death and the level and type of force used. Two police officers will be interviewed under criminal caution by IPCC investigators.



“As this is a criminal investigation, the IPCC is limited in the amount of information which can be released into the public domain. I would ask people to be patient during the progress of our investigation and not to add to speculation about the circumstances of Mr Atkinson’s death. Speculation across the media as a whole can risk prejudice to the investigation process.

“We will keep Mr Atkinson’s family updated and our thoughts remain with all of those affected by his death.”

In a statement the IPCC added: “Two West Mercia Police officers have been advised they are under criminal investigation and are also being served with gross misconduct notices.

“A criminal investigation does not mean that criminal charges will necessarily follow.

“The IPCC investigation is at an early stage, and the position will be kept under review as the investigation progresses.”

Tasers deliver an incapacitating 50,000-volt shock, and critics say the weapon is too often lethal. Its use has been linked to at least 10 deaths in England and Wales over the last decade. In 2013, Jordan Lee Begley, 23, died two hours after a Greater Manchester officer targeted him with a stun gun at his home. Police had been called to reports of an argument.

Atkinson achieved acclaim for his goal of the season against Wimbledon in 1992 as part of an Aston Villa team that went on to secure the runners-up spot in the first year of the Premier League. He also scored at Wembley in 1994 when Villa beat Manchester United to lift the League Cup.



He started his career at Ipswich Town and then played for Sheffield Wednesday and the Spanish side Real Sociedad before moving to Villa. He was the first black player for Sociedad, scoring 12 goals in La Liga.



At Villa he scored more than 20 Premier League goals between 1991 and 1995 before going on to play less successfully for other teams, including the Turkish side Fenerbahçe and Manchester City.