Taser prosecutions possible for police who mistook blind man’s stick for Samurai sword

Police could face criminal charges after a blind man was shot with a 50,000 volt Taser when his white stick was mistaken for a Samurai sword.

Colin Farmer, 63, who is visually impaired, was hit with the stun gun in Chorley, Lancashire, in October last year.

Today prosecutors confirmed that police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has passed them a file for consideration.

A Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) spokeswoman said: “The CPS has been passed a file of evidence relating to this case by the IPCC, which we are now considering to determine whether or not charges should be brought.”

Lancashire Police referred the case to the IPCC, which has now completed its investigation into what happened.

Mr Farmer, who has suffered two strokes in the past, is taking legal action against the force claiming assault, false imprisonment and a breach of his human rights.

He was walking in the town centre in Chorley on the way to meet friends at a pub when he was Tasered and then handcuffed.

Mr Farmer said he did not realise that anything was wrong until he was hit, and that he collapsed to the ground in shock and believed he might be dying from another stroke.