A former police officer who fired a Taser at a former soldier with mental health issues who died has told an inquest jury he had no choice but to discharge the stun gun because he feared for his own safety and that of bystanders.
PC Oliver West, who has since left the police after being convicted of stealing a car battery, said he found Spencer Beynon slumped in a doorway with a serious neck wound but claimed he suddenly got up and charged at him, shouting: “I want to die.”
Other witnesses have reported that West fired after Beynon tried to get up or after movement of his arms. Another police officer who was there has told the inquest only that she remembered “some movement” but could not give more details.
Asked if he was sure Beynon had got to his feet, West told the court in Llanelli, south Wales: “Absolutely. I couldn’t be more sure.”
West had responded to reports on Tuesday 14 June 2016 of a man smashing a window in Llanelli and threatening someone with acid.
He and his colleague eventually found Beynon, who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after tours of Afghanistan and Iraq with the Royal Welsh regiment. West said he was warned by a bystander: “You want to be careful with this one.”
The officer said he was concerned that Beynon could have acid with him and, as he was bleeding heavily, was also worried he could have a sharp object on him.
West drew his Taser as he walked towards the man. “I got within five, six, seven feet of him. He opened his eyes and got to his feet. He charged at me and said: ‘I want to die.’”
West said he perceived the man as a threat to him, to his police colleague and members of the public. “I had to defend myself and others. It was a split second. I aimed and pulled the trigger.”
He added: “What else could I have done? To my mind, I had this person coming towards me with unknown intentions. I didn’t have an option to do nothing.”
The jury is to consider whether it was reasonable for the Taser to be used and if it contributed to Beynon’s death, as well as how police dealt with a call from his father, Christopher Beynon, asking for him to be sectioned.
The inquest continues.
