Renewed calls for every officer to have Taser after 'abhorrent' knife attack

21 November 2023

West Midlands Police Federation chair Rich Cooke has renewed his call for every officer to be able to be trained in the use of Taser.

Rich’s comments come after a student officer received “significant lasting injuries” after being attacked with a knife in the Springfield area of Birmingham at 3.30pm on Sunday.

Two officers were taken to hospital after the attack, which Rich described as “absolutely abhorrent and shocking”. They’ve since been discharged after receiving treatment.

Rich revealed that Taser was deployed in the incident, and said without it the situation could have been worse.

He said: “We’re offering all the support we can to the officers. The officer did have a Taser and managed to subdue their attacker with it.

“For me, it reinforces that all officers should have Taser training if they want it.

“Assaults on officers are unacceptably high - there’s a general willingness of criminals to use violence.

“We have got a lot of relatively new in service officers, and they deserve the protection against this level of violence.

“While in this instance it didn’t prevent them being attacked, it may well have saved a life.”

Rich said that as well as physical injuries from the incident, the officers may experience psychological issues as well.

“It’s a horrible, traumatic experience,” he said. “The fact that you’re close to being seriously injured or worse, it can happen in a split second.

“It’s really scary, maybe not for you personally but for your family, friends and loved ones. That’s when it hits you, when you realise what you could lose.

“Quite possibly, those officers are going to be traumatised by the attack for a long time to come."

Rich also called for tougher sentences for those who attack emergency services workers to act as a deterrent.

And he said that the level of violence against police officers may put people off joining the service.

“The sentencing is woefully inadequate to provide a deterrent,” he said.

“Police officers do it in support of others and if we don’t get the support then the danger is you won’t get people putting themselves forward.

“It’s a vocation, but it’s got to pay you a living and you’ve got to have some confidence you are going to get supported doing it.”

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