Two British Police Officers Used a Taser on Their Own Black Race Relations Advisor

The issue of poorly trained police officers using weapons on unarmed citizens of color rears its head in Britain with a disturbing video.

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By definition, Judah Adunbi’s job is to prevent British police officers from using unnecessary force. Adunbi is a founding member of the Independent Advisory Group, and works with officers to prevent discrimination. Despite his day job, he recently found himself the victim of such discrimination at the hands of two British officers. 

Adunbi was mistaken for a robbery suspect while out walking his dog, and the mistake led to a heated confrontation with two police officers. When Adunbi refused to give his name, he was accused of holding his keys in a threatening manner. The situation escalated, as the officers continually told Adunbi to remain calm, despite him placing his hands above his head. The entire incident was filmed by one of Adunbi’s neighbors, who can be heard admonishing the arresting officers.

“He’s going to his house,” Adunbi’s neighbor said. “He’s got his keys in his hand. How do you take that as a threat? He’s one of my neighbors. He’s a lovely guy.”

The video shows one of the officers subduing Adunbi with a Taser and Adunbi lying limp on the ground as his neighbor, dog, and the two officers surround him. While the 63-year-old was arrested on the spot for assaulting a constable in the execution of duty and using threatening behavior, the charges were later dropped.

“It's a little distasteful...To know that one of the [founding] members of the Independent Advisory Group, which was created some years ago to improve the relationship between the Afro-Caribbean community and the constabulary, and to be treated like this, it’s difficult,” Adunbi told the Guardian.

According to data obtained by the Washington Post, officers in Britain and Wales shot their firearms less than 10 times a year between 2004 and 2013. The use of lethal force against unarmed African-Americans in the U.S. has become a heated topic in recent years, with high profile incidents involving Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, and others. The Washington Post reports 963 people were shot and killed by police in 2016 alone, with 233 of those killed identifying as black or African-American.

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