Dalian Atkinson tragedy: Police boss defends Tasers in wake of former Aston Villa star's death
Police trained to use the Taser have to deal with situations 'that arise in the blink of an eye' with no time to research someone's medical history, the group representing rank-and-file officers has said.
Calum Macleod, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said any delay in response to an aggressive or armed suspect could result in someone else being killed.
He spoke as questions were raised over the safety of the stun guns following the death of ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson on Monday – the second death involving police use of a Taser in two months.
Mr Macleod said: "If people had the time to sit there and research medical history and research potential implications, the worst-case scenario could be that someone could be dead. Officers are called to deal with situations that arise in the blink of an eye and invariably have to be dealt with within that time-frame.
"We have to be able to run towards danger when it occurs. We have to be able to protect the public and protect ourselves. This is not the panacea to solve every problem but it is an option. It is a tool in a tool kit."
Mr Atkinson died around 90 minutes after being Tasered by officers from West Mercia Police near his father's home in the Trench area of Telford.
Official figures show that Tasers were used 164 times by West Mercia Police last year, down from 197 the previous year, and the 17th highest out of the 43 forces in England and Wales.