Police Taser sets Warburton man alight

A man from the remote indigenous community of Warburton caught fire after WA Police used a Taser on him on July 20. He was airlifted to a Perth hospital with burns to 20% of his body. The July 21 Age said he was in a critical condition in the hospital burns unit.

WA Police claim they tried to arrest the man for petrol sniffing. They allege the man was Tasered while he was holding a petrol can and a cigarette lighter.

Despite widespread criticism the WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan defended the conduct of the officers and the WA Police's use of Tasers.

"I will be changing no policies in the WA Police in regard to Taser usage and I support what the police officers did in this instance," he told WAtoday.com.au on July 21.

However, Melbourne-based criminal law academic Dr Julian Bondy told the July 22 WAToday.com.au that Tasers, far from being non-lethal weapons, were "so close to lethality it's not funny".

"This is a terrible outcome", he said. "I think Tasers and the rush to roll them out across so many jurisdictions is a grave mistake."

From GLW issue 804