The family of a former soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder who died after a Taser was discharged at him by police have expressed distress at his violent death.



Spencer Beynon, 43, who was said to have been scarred by his experiences during tours of Afghanistan and Iraq, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident in Llanelli, south Wales.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has launched an investigation while Dyfed-Powys police has begun a parallel criminal inquiry into a disturbance that led to Beynon suffering injuries before officers arrived.

Tributes paid to Llanelli man who died following 'incident' involving Taser https://t.co/YIDXZnc1rl pic.twitter.com/A2eg9fNQfu — South Wales EP (@SWEveningPost) June 15, 2016

Paying tribute to Beynon, his sister Esther, said: “Our hearts are ripped in pieces and our lives will never be the same again, my baby bro and the man I loved more than anything has left my life and there was nothing I could do to help him.”

Beynon’s niece Georgia said: “My uncle was a truly amazing man. Absolutely everyone loved him and I know he is going to be missed by so many. No one will ever understand how much he has been through. The whole family are distraught.”

The case will again focus attention on the use of Tasers, especially on people with mental health problems.

Deborah Coles, director of the group Inquest, which supports families of people who have lost relatives in incidents involving the police, said: “This is a disturbing death that needs robust investigation and provides his family with answers. The use of Tasers on vulnerable people is a matter of significant public concern that has been linked to previous deaths. With ever increasing police reliance on Tasers, there must be questions about whether its use is appropriate and reasonable.”

Some witnesses have claimed that Beynon had a knife and stabbed himself and his dog before police arrived. But the Dyfed-Powys investigation suggests other people may also have been involved in a violent incident.

The IPCC said Dyfed-Powys officers were called to a street in Llanelli at around 7.30pm on Tuesday following several calls from members of the public reporting a disturbance.

It said: “Police arrived to find a man in the street in a distressed state. During the incident, a Taser was discharged. The man became unresponsive and an ambulance was called, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.”

A postmortem examination is expected to be carried out on Thursday and IPCC investigators have started viewing CCTV footage and speaking to the officers involved.

Witnesses said they saw Beynon acting strangely. Halder Monteiro said: “I could hear lots of shouting … I could see a guy in the street who looked totally out of it. He just had this look in his eyes.

“He then started hitting his head against a window several times and looked to be holding a dog in his arms. After police used the Taser, he fell to the floor.”

A friend, Callum Evans, said he had met Beynon for coffee on Monday. He said: “There was no inkling of anything going on, he was his bubbly, normal self.”

Last year, Beynon put together a group to patrol the parks to ensure children were going home at a reasonable hour during the summer holiday.

In 2014, Beynon admitted growing cannabis plants in his garage. At the time, his solicitor, Laura Sherwood, said he had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and smoking helped.

A report from the IPCC in 2014 revealed that Dyfed-Powys police – together with the City of London force – reported the lowest use of Tasers, with two uses per 100 officers in 2013. Staffordshire had the highest level, with 33 uses per 100 officers. “Uses” included instances when the device was drawn but not discharged.

The report raised concerns about the use of Tasers on people who are particularly vulnerable, such as those with mental health concerns or young people.





The Labour assembly member for Llanelli, Lee Waters, tweeted: “Concerned by reports a man has died after being shot by police with Taser in #Llanelli Glad IPCC are investigating.

Concerened by reports a man has died after being shot by police with Taser in #Llanelli Glad IPCC are investigating https://t.co/xnA3geaYxE — Lee Waters AM (@Amanwy) June 15, 2016



