Raoul Moat: Taser May Have 'Breached Act'

Raoul Moat: Taser May Have 'Breached Act'

news.sky.com

A Taser gun used during a stand-off with fugitive Raoul Moat was not licensed under the Firearms Act, Sky News has learnt.An inquest into Moat's death heard the weapon used was a prototype and not yet officially sanctioned for use.

It had been claimed the use of the experimental Taser was at the discretion of individual forces.

But it has now emerged that the Home Office had cancelled the license under which the weapons were supplied.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Hmms One does wonder what repocussions there will be over this. If the police used a Tazer and knew well it was not licenced, can they not be charged with manslaughter or murder. It could be in breach off the fire arms act. Will someone go to jail for this, or will there be another cover up.

This is definately a shocking development in this case.



news.sky.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Laurauk


Kind of ties in with The Daily Mail's story on Police firearms experts remaining anonymous and little investigation on their actions. Are we talking about that shotgun-like taser?

Lol i was in the middle of a thread about this.....went for a cuppa and came back to your thread. Must learn to type faster.

Interesting developement indeed Laura, i dare say the family will be seeking legal advice as we speak. C an't say i blame them, i'm sure we would have the full force of the law brought down upon us if we used an unlicensed weapon to kill someone.

I wonder how this one will be spun round in all directions before being covered up amongst talk of "misunderstandings of paperwork".



CX.

reply to post by CX


Seems though the Home Office does not want any officers, whom were invovled in this, named. Hang on, if they have used this Tazer unlicensed, then surely they should be held to account. Or were they given a free licence to get riid of Moat? After all he did try and kill one of thier fellow officers.

It does raise certain questions.

reply to post by LarryLove


I really do not know, I would have to search on the net with regards to the Tazer, depicted in the Breaking Story. Basically your guess is as good as mines.

Yes it was the new shotgun taser.

There were pistol tasers there too, but it was the shotgun that was unlicensed.

CX.

reply to post by Laurauk


I think when you say there may have been an 'open policy' on killing him because he had gunned down a police officer already, you may be on to something. I am sure revenge was running high amongst police officers.

reply to post by CX


And the range between officers and Moat was very close. That taser looked more for taking down elephants let alone a human.

reply to post by LarryLove


Well If you heard the reports on the number of Police Officers, Helicopters, Military Officials invovled, they were definately up to something. Revenge I do not know, I am not saying that is what the officers were after, but it does make one wonder. And the Home Office trying to withhold the names of those officers invovled, so that the family cannot take legal action against them. The I.P.C.C. are still progressing through thier investigation over the incident. But will that be a cover up?

reply to post by Laurauk


Agreed. Human nature to protect your own and could totally understand more personal motives to take Moat out. I still recall how that event was played out on tv. To think one guy with a little survival knowledge and a few friends evaded capture for so long and was hiding almost under the noses of police. They even brought out the SAS.

Back a little to what the Mail is covering in regards to firearms officers. There was an interesting report into the deaths of people at the hands of marksmen in situations where the word dubious could be used.

reply to post by LarryLove


Well look at what is going on right now, with the Death of the Barrister, who was shot 6 - 7 times by police marksmen, who have stated that they thought thier lives were in danger. Since the Barrister was pointing the Two Barrel Shotgun thier way.

I am on the fence with regards to this also, but as per usual we are only shown what they want us to see..

Does make one wonder.

reply to post by Laurauk


Can you imagine having to make that kind of call though. When to take the shot? How could the situation develop? Those kinds of thought processes aren't normal for people like you or I, so a conversation with a firearms officer would be interesting and insightful.

reply to post by Laurauk


Technically, if it was unlicensed, that would be several potential charges the officers concerned could face. Possession of a unlicensed firearm, assault with a deadly weapon and even manslaughter charges as a result of the Tazer discharge possibly leading to his death to name a few.. The force as well could face H&S charges or even corporate manslaughter.

Although I don't think there was any desire for "revenge" or a conspiracy, because had he surrendered peacefully he would have been taken into custody as per normal. He made the situation far worse by holding the standoff instead of surrendering once cornered.

reply to post by Laurauk


This is actually an good example of who arms controls hurt. A nutbag goes on a shooting spree and they're giving crap to someone who used a Taser to try to subdue him? Ridiculous.

The authorities tried everything they could to keep him alive. He wasn't coming in alive, the taser was a last resort to try and keep him alive. That's more than he deserved.

Originally posted by projectvxn
reply to post by Laurauk

 

This is actually an good example of who arms controls hurt. A nutbag goes on a shooting spree and they're giving crap to someone who used a Taser to try to subdue him? Ridiculous.

I say good. Let them know how it feels to be a victim of gun control none sence. Now the shoe is on the other foot. For every problem that gun control solves it creates 5 in its place.

reply to post by Laurauk


appologies - but your " revenge " premise makes zerio sense

the ENTIRE point of tazer type weapons is they are designed to be none lethal

yes i know that a TINY fraction of people tazered do die - but compare that death rate to the overwhelming majority of fatalities amongst people shot by UK police forces .

AFAIK no one has been killed in the UK by a police tazer - yet , so using a different tazer that MIGHT me more lethal than the standard version as a murder weapon in your " revenge " premise is absurd

when they have glock side arms and H&K carbines to hand and can invent any number of excuses to ditch the tazer and use conventional fiurearms

reply to post by ignorant_ape


Well I apologise, I for one disagree with you, on your comments.

How do we know what was discussed in the police Operations rooms, After Moat nearly killed one of thier fellow officers. You just have to look at the amount of Police etc whom were invovled in searching and catching him. If that was not going OTT. One does not know what is. Revenge for nearly killing one of thier officers, yes I do think so. You harm one of thiers, you harm the rest of them. Have seen it happen before.

The fact that the Tazer used was Illegal, unlicensed, says it all. The Officers invovled used an illegal weapon. Why not use a tazer which was aproved? Did they think that Moat was too big for an approved tazer to be used to bring down?

Who made the decision to use the Tazer which was unlicenced. Will we get to know the truth. Anything going by past investigations or inquiries. No we will not.

The family of Moat are still being kept in the dark. Which I find rather bizzare.

And before you attack me, I am not defending what Moat did. But I am not going to defend the actions of police officers who might be in the wrong.

There are still circumstances around his death which, we still do not know about. It will be a cover up, like any enquiry that is conducted by officials.

Update on Ongoing Breaking News:

Raoul Moat: Taser Supplier Loses Licence

The company which supplied Tasers used by police during a stand-off with fugitive Raoul Moat has had its licence revoked by the Home Secretary.

It comes after it had emerged that the gun fired at Moat by officers - the X12 Taser - was not licensed for distribution under the Firearms Act.

It had been claimed the use of the experimental Taser was at the discretion of individual forces.

One does wonder if the Company whom supplied these tazers are beng made scapegoats for the Police Officers actions, over the use off an illegal firearm. The Tazer in question is a X12 Tazer, descriptions of the tazer is on the link:

Company looses Its Licence