A 44-year-old man has died after police deployed a taser and became physically involved during an arrest in South Australia. The incident occurred in Clare, approximately 140 kilometres from Adelaide, around 12:30 pm on Sunday.
According to police, the man was damaging a property on Opie Street using a metal pole. When two officers arrived at the scene, the man allegedly threatened them with the pole. Officers attempted to disarm him but were unsuccessful, leading to the deployment of a taser.
South Australia Police Assistant Commissioner David O'Donovan stated that the taser was used but proved to be 'ineffective'. He elaborated, 'I'm briefed that he used the metal pole … to threaten the police. The taser was activated but it was ineffective.'
Following the taser deployment, officers had to physically engage with the man, a situation O'Donovan described as 'going hands on'. During this physical arrest, the man became unresponsive. Police immediately administered first aid and continued until medical personnel arrived at the scene.
O'Donovan emphasised the early stage of the investigation, saying, 'It is very early in the investigation and because of the seriousness of what has occurred here and certainly South Australia police are taking this incident very seriously … there is a lot of detail that is yet to be clear.'
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The Major Crime and Ethical and Professional Standards detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.
