Concerns over use of Taser guns on vulnerable people If someone is clearly in great mental distress, having a Taser gun used on them will seriously exacerbate their condition. People who take antipsychotic medication may also be vulnerable to suffering a fatal injury if Tasered, as some medications greatly weaken the heart. If police are called out to a situation where someone has threatened to self-harm, there are other steps they can take without needing to resort to extreme force. Firstly, it is extremely important to try to talk to the person who is in distress, and police should consider bringing a properly trained crisis negotiator to help with this. They should also call an ambulance and speak to a mental health crisis team, who are better placed to act in a mental health crisis and who will be able to provide crucial advice and support in this situation. Vicki Nash, head of policy and campaigns at mental health charity Mind, said: "Tasers are extreme and controversial weapons that we believe should only be used as a last resort by police. Tasers can cause extreme distress so to use them on people who are experiencing a mental health crisis, and already displaying signs of distress, can make things even more traumatic. We urge police to ensure they are equipped with the tools they need to make difficult decisions quickly. A better understanding of mental health problems would allow police to recognise those experiencing a mental health crisis, and de-escalate a situation before resorting to weapons such as tasers. There is no substitute for comprehensive mental health training. Tasers incapacitate subjects by passing 50,000 volts of electricity into the body via two 21ft wires. The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) defended the use of the weapons and stressed that officers assess every incident to decide whether they will help protect an individual or the public. An Acpo spokesman said: "Police officers are highly trained in the use of Taser and make an assessment before using it based on the situation and the threat to the public, or the individual concerned. In some circumstances these people may fall into different categories, such as age, but these categories do not diminish the risk to the public or the individual and each police officer will make an independent assessment at the scene of an incident before using Taser. This is just one of a range of tactics that police can use to protect the public or an individual. Sophie Khan, solicitor advocate at McMillan Williams specialising in Taser-related injuries, said: "It is extremely concerning to hear that vulnerable individuals continue to be Tasered by police, especially those who are suffering from mental health issues who are in need of medical assistance. The Taser should only be used when there is a threat to the public or police and not on someone self-harming themselves. The use under such circumstances is unlawful and must stop immediately. A spokeswoman for Amnesty International, which has campaigned against the use of Tasers, said: "Tasers should only be used in a limited set of circumstances where there is a risk to life or very serious injury. In addition, Tasers should only be used by a limited number of police officers who undergo intensive, ongoing and rigorous training.