Police Taser 'suicide bomber' diabetic
Updated on 16 November 2007
A 34-year-old diabetic has described how he was shot twice by police with a Taser gun after going into a coma on a bus.
Nicholas Gaubert says he suffered a hypoglycaemic fit which left him slumped on his seat clutching his rucksack.
Police officers called to the scene believed he could be a suicide bomber and shot him twice when he did not respond.
The incident happened in Leeds in July 2005, a week before the fatal shooting of Brazilian man Jean Charles de Menezes by officers in London.
"When I heard about that Brazilian man in London I just thought, 'oh no, that could have been me'," said Mr Gaubert.
West Yorkshire Police said the matter was in the hands of the IPCC.
His lawyer said there were clear parallels with the shooting of Mr Menezes at Stockwell Tube station, especially as he believes there is evidence of a breakdown in communication between the police on the ground and their commanders.
Mr Gaubert said: "All I can think is that I'm glad I did not come round on the bus because you can often act aggressively when you come out of a hypo like that".
He says he is outraged to have found out none of the officers involved will face charges.
His legal adviser, Ifti Manzoor, of Irwin Mitchell, said his client "is completely traumatised by this."
The IPCC issued a statement which said: "The IPCC managed an investigation into an incident on 13 July 2005 in which West Yorkshire Police discharged a Taser at a man while he sat on a bus in Leeds.
"The IPCC must determine whether any disciplinary matters need to be considered against the officers involved."
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