A man who was rescued from the Thames after receiving a Taser from police is in critical condition.
Officers were called at 9 a.m. Saturday to report a disturbance on Chelsea Bridge Road in London, where the man, who was believed to be about 40 years old and allegedly armed with a screwdriver, he shouted.
He was challenged by police on the bridge and given a Taser, but the force said this “did not allow officers to stop him safely”.
Police said the man “later entered the river,” after which the RNLI rescued him and took him to hospital.
The Met’s Professional Standards Directorate will investigate while police surveillance, the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), is referred to the case.
Detective Chief Inspector Rory Wilkinson of the BCU Central West of the Met said: “My thoughts are with this man, who is very ill at the hospital. Officers are making every effort to contact his family.
“I understand that there are always concerns about incidents in which people suffer from having been in contact with the police.
“All Met agents know they are responsible for their actions and a full investigation is underway to establish exactly what happened.”