Police use of a taser against a man armed with guns and a knife was “proportionate and justified”, an independent review has found.
An investigation by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) concluded the use of the device on 48-year-old Andrew Mould allowed officers to restrain him.
Earlier this week Mould was jailed for one year at Inverness Sheriff Court after admitting being in possession of an imitation firearm at his caravan home near Shiel Bridge and using it to intimidate two police officers on September 1.
Armed officers were called to the incident in Wester Ross following reports that a man was in possession of several weapons and was a danger to himself.
The officers arrived and initially negotiated with Mould to throw down two guns and a knife before apparently making an attempt to recover his weapons.
At that point, one of the officers discharged his taser and temporarily incapacitated Mould, who then began struggling violently with the officers who were trying to restrain him.
He was tasered again before being handcuffed and detained.
The commissioner Kate Frame said: “Faced with a man acting in an aggressive and unpredictable manner who appeared to be intent on retrieving his weapons, the police were justified in discharging the taser on both occasions to ensure their own safety and those members of the public present.
“This was a life threatening situation which was handled swiftly and professionally by the armed officers, who brought this incident to a safe conclusion.”
Mould pleaded guilty in an appearance at Inverness Sheriff Court in November.
The court heard that Mould had told his sister’s partner he was depressed and wanted his guns “taken off me”
The officers later discovered the German-made Smith and Wesson was a replica capable of firing airgun pellets.
It was empty when they overcame Mould.
Sentencing Mould earlier this week, Sheriff Margaret Neilson said he put the police officers in a “dreadful situation”.
