Tasers in prisons to be trialled after Abedi attack
The use of Tasers in prisons will be trialled after guards were injured by the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, the justice secretary has said.
The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) had called for guards to have access to electric stun guns in light of Hashem Abedi’s use of makeshift weapons to attack staff at HMP Frankland, a high-security prison in County Durham.
Shabana Mahmood told the Commons on Tuesday: “Wherever we can strengthen our defences, to better protect our staff and the public, we will do so.”
However, POA chairman Mark Fairhurst told the BBC he did not believe a trial was necessary and called for their use to be rolled out “before one of my members is murdered”.
Three guards received hospital treatment after the attack on 12 April. One remains in hospital in a stable condition, while two others have since been discharged.
Source: BBC | Language: English