OAP with dementia, 91, handcuffed, put in spit hood and red-dotted with Taser by cops
A WOMAN aged 91 was handcuffed, had a spit hood placed over her head before being red-dotted with a Taser by police, The Sun can reveal.
The elderly dementia sufferer was then strapped down on a stretcher with the Hannibal Lecter-type mask covering her face and taken in a police van to hospital.
She is said to have sustained injuries during her ‘’heavy-handed’’ detention at her home in Peckham, South London.
A police watchdog is investigating the “shocking” incident earlier this month during which neighbours heard ‘’crying and screaming’’ from the traumatised woman.
One officer has been suspended and barred from using a Taser while five more cops have been placed on restricted desk duties with no contact with the public.
The six Met officers attended the block of flats where the woman lives on May 9 following reports of a disturbance between her and her carer.
The panic-stricken elderly woman is said to have started ranting at police, spat at one officer and also threw cups of coffee before “extreme measures” were taken to bring her under control.
She was handcuffed behind her back and then the tightly-meshed sack-like spit hood was thrown over the pensioner’s head.
One officer then withdrew a Taser and flicked on the electric stun gun’s switch to aim a red dot on the petrified mother-of-three, but did not discharge the weapon.
The elderly woman – described as small and thin – was carried away afterwards by police while tied down on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital. She was not arrested.
One neighbour said: “I could hear her crying and screaming.
“I looked out my window and could see they had her strapped down on a stretcher – it was awful.
“There were two police cars and a van – you would think with all those people they would be able to manage it without tying her down.”
The neighbour said the woman had lived there for “many years” and her mental health had deteriorated over the last decade.
She added: “She can become a bit of a handful but there is no need for what the police did to her – she’s only a skinny little thing.”
Details of the incident have not been made public so far and it took more than a week for the Met to notify the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
The London force said its Directorate of Professional Standards voluntarily referred the case to the IOPC ‘’as soon as they became aware.’’
Sanctions were taken against the officers after Met internal disciplinary investigators viewed the officers’ body-worn video of the harrowing incident.
Relatives of the woman – who The Sun is not naming – were informed and have now been shown the footage of her detention.
The IOPC carried out an initial assessment and have now launched a full investigation.
Outraged former Met commander John O’ Connor said: “It is absolutely shocking.
“The officers could easily have killed her with this heavy-handed treatment.
“This was a very aggressive way to treat a 91-year-old woman who was clearly very distressed.
“What possible threat could this very old lady have posed to these much younger police officers? It is beyond comprehension.
‘’To handcuff and place a spit hood on her like that and then red dot her with a Taser is absolutely appalling.”
Mr O’ Connor added: “This should have been dealt with as a medical matter by professionals who knew what they were doing.
“The officers clearly had no idea how to deal with this distressed elderly woman and have used extreme measures instead of a gentler approach.
“This kind of action can kill an old person. The officers should never have used this equipment on a 91-year-old.
“They have let themselves and their uniform down. It’s a shameful way to treat someone so vulnerable.”
The Met Police said: “The Independent Office for Police Conduct are independently investigating an incident where an elderly woman was restrained by officers in Southwark.
“The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) made a voluntary referral to the IOPC as soon as they were made aware of the incident.’’
The Met said of the incident itself: “On Tuesday, 9 May officers were called to an address in SE15 following reports of a disturbance between a woman and her carer.
“Officers attended and identified a 91-year-old lady who was distressed.
“After officers attempted to engage with her, she was restrained using handcuffs and a spit hood applied after it was alleged one officer was spat at.
“The woman was then taken to hospital. She was not arrested.
“During the course of the incident, an officer issued a red-dot challenge with their Taser but did not discharge it.’’
The Met added in a statement: “Following an initial assessment by the DPS, one officer has been suspended and their use of Taser withdrawn.
“A further five officers have been placed on restricted duties, meaning they will have no contact with the public, while the incident is investigated. The woman’s family are aware of the incident.
“Police are in contact with them and arranged for a family member to view body-worn video of the incident.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, in charge of policing in the borough of Southwark, said he was limited in what he could say because of the IOPC probe.
However, he added, “it is clear that this will have been a distressing experience for the lady involved and that the circumstances raise a number of questions that need to be answered.’’
He went on: “While I do not wish to pre-judge this process, officers know that they must be able to justify any use of force or restraint and we will expect that of the officers involved in this incident.
“They also know that we expect them to show compassion and to adjust their approach in real time according to the circumstances they are faced with.
“I am committed to transparency in relation to this incident. I am already in contact with our key partners and will keep them, and those directly involved, informed as our enquiries progress.”
The IOPC said they believed the woman may have suffered injuries during her detention.
They said: “We can confirm we are independently investigating an incident where a 91-year-old woman was detained at an address in St George’s Way (SE15) on 9 May by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers, including the extent of any force used by the officers.
“We understand the woman may have sustained injuries during the incident in which she was restrained, handcuffed and had a spit hood applied.
“A Taser was deployed but not discharged.
“The force voluntarily referred the matter to us last week.
“We have been in touch with the woman’s family to explain our role.
“Our investigation is at an early stage.”
The 91-year-old woman is black, which could fuel concerns previously raised about disproportionate deployment of Tasers by police against members of the Afro-Caribbean community.
Civil rights group Liberty have condemned the use of spit hoods by police as degrading and potentially lethal.
Global outrage was sparked last week when 95-year-old Australian Clare Nowland died after being Tasered by police at a New South Wales care home where she was wandering around with a steak knife.