Police officer charged with killing ex-Real Sociedad player Dalian Atkinson
Atkinson suffered a heart attack three years ago after being tasered outside his father's home in Telford. Another officer has been charged with assault OABH.
A Police officer has been charged with murder in connection to the premature death of former Aston Villa and Real Sociedad footballer, Dalian Atkinson, who suffered a heart attack after being tasered in 2016. A second policeman has been charged with assualt occasioning actual bodily harm. Both will stand trial at a court hearing in Birmingham today.
Atkinson died aged 48 after an incident involving police officers outside his father's house in Telford, Shropshire on 15 August 2016. Police had been called to the address in the early hours of the morning after reports of an altercation. Atkinson was hit by a taser and died a couple of hours later at the nearby Princess Royal hospital.
The victim's family issued a statement, welcoming the decision to charge police officers involved in the incident but were critical that it has taken three years for justuice to be served. They have asked for their privacy to be respected and hope that the criminal proceedings can go ahead without obstruction.
During his playing career, Atkinson starred for Ipswich Town,Sheffield Wednesday, Real Sociedad, Aston Villa and Fenerbahçe until he retired from the game in 2001.