British prosecutors accused a police officer of murder for allegedly using unnecessary force against a Black former Premier League soccer player, who died after being kicked in the head and shot with a stun gun.
Dalian Atkinson, 48, a former Aston Villa star, went into cardiac arrest on the way to a hospital and died around 90 minutes after officers used a Taser on him to subdue him during an altercation in 2016.
Prosecutors allege that West Mercia Police Constable Benjamin Monk, 42, used a stun gun for 33 seconds against Atkinson — more than six times longer than was standard.
Authorities charged Monk with murder and manslaughter after a three-year inquiry.
Monk’s colleague, Police Constable Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, 31, is also facing trial charged with assault. The two appeared at Birmingham Crown Court Tuesday for the start of their trial. Both officers deny wrongdoing.
The case has touched off a debate about the use of stun guns in a country where police rarely carry firearms.
Black people were three times more likely to be involved in stun gun incidents…
