Dalian Atkinson

[Super_horns]

Died after suffering a heart attack whilst being tasered by the police.

Sad news.

Remember him well from the early 90s and for a top class solo goal at Wimbledon.

 

[Craig]

It's shit news. Was a regular on the goals highlights when I was a nipper first getting into football.

Has any light been shed on what actually happened? Apparently he was 'stumbling' towards the police officers, must have seemed a huge threat at the time.

 

[MJA]

Was a player I have fond memories of as he was about just as I was getting into football as a youngster. Scored some cracking goals and reduced me to tears by scoring in the 94 League Cup final to end Man Utd's chances of winning the domestic treble that season (yes I was a massive gloryhunter as a youngster ).

Such a shame that his life has ended at such a young age and in such horrid circumstances. No-one seems to know what happened other than the police were called to assist with someone in distress and a couple of hours later having been tasered Atkinson died of a massive heart attack. Neighbours have reported seeing very heavy handed tactics by the police (one even claimed that the police were seen to be kicking Atkinson as he lay on the ground) but you sometimes find that the public will want to make the police out to be the bad guys in circumstances like this. Will be interesting to see if the actual chain of events ever comes to light as this will certainly bring about questions over the use of tasers or perhaps the quality of training given to officers to use them

 

[Abertawe]

The police love their tasers, even more so when they get a holiday on full pay after triggering one.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Was sad to hear this earlier, really good player when I was a kid.

Clearly more to come out of this and I hope the appropriate investigations take place.

 

[Blitzballer]

fucking tragic
one of my heroes growing up

 

[Blitzballer]

Also this shit about tasers being non-lethal is absolute bullshit

 

[DontBringBertie]

Law abiding citizens seem to avoid being tasered.

Have the people complaining about the Police ever thought to stop breaking the law and see if that helps?

 

[Aber gas]

Law abiding citizens seem to avoid being tasered.

Have the people complaining about the Police ever thought to stop breaking the law and see if that helps?

Why would you have to be a criminal to have a opinion on police brutality or the police in general?

 

[rudebwoyben]

There is a question of accountability here. Although things are better, there are still not enough mechanisms for us the public to hold the police accountable for their actions. The stat that some 150 odd BAME people have died in police custody since 1992 and yet not one police officer has been prosecuted is damning enough.

 

[Mustard]

There is a question of accountability here. Although things are better, there are still not enough mechanisms for us the public to hold the police accountable for their actions. The stat that some 150 odd BAME people have died in police custody since 1992 and yet not one police officer has been prosecuted is damning enough.

The BAME bit isn't that damning, though. We've had this in a thread in the current affairs forum. I don't have time to go in great detail atm, but the 156 BAME deaths in police custody since 1990 is part of the 1563 figure for all deaths, and so roughly 10% of all deaths are BAME, whilst BAME make up around 13% of the population, so if anything they are under-represented.

The question of accountability I agree is still there, but not just, or especially, for BAME deaths.

Also this shit about tasers being non-lethal is absolute bullshit

The police themselves have started using the term less-lethal (same for batons). Unfortunately it's almost impossible to run a check on whether somebody has an underlying heart condition (which is usually the cause of death with tasers) before tasering them. These events are still very rare (and so well publicised when they happen) and given the alternative is having more armed police, it is worth it.

Sounds like he was threatening to kill his father, this is according to his brother.

 

[DontBringBertie]

Why would you have to be a criminal to have a opinion on police brutality or the police in general?

I was on more about the people who complain the police treat them like shit when then continuously break the law.

Like the people who complained Mark Duggan was harshly treated.

Known criminal and drug dealer. Had a gun. He had it coming.

 

[Abertawe]

I was on more about the people who complain the police treat them like shit when then continuously break the law.

Like the people who complained Mark Duggan was harshly treated.

Known criminal and drug dealer. Had a gun. He had it coming.

Bizarre thought I know but have you not considered Atkinson was suffering from a mental breakdown rather than being a hardened crim who had it coming. Atkinson was reported to have been shouting "I am homeless" & "I am the messiah" so perhaps some constraint should've be shown considering the evidence points to the defendant being 'mad not bad'. Your view essentially says it's fair game to taser anybody caught up in an incident just because they're in an incident. That sets a dangerous precedent because it allows for an individual to set their own boundaries as to who requires tasering and given the nature of the role emotion could easily cloud those boundaries. Legislation on tasers should be stricter, there seems to be far too much scope for the allowance of them. Police officers are meant to be fit and adept in street fighting/close combat & restraint tactics. Tasering & police marksmen should only be deployed in exceptional circumstances.

It appears Atkinson was a guy that went from top flight star to a complete down & out. I do wonder where the 'football family' were in his plight. Everyone seems to bend over backwards to help Gazza (who has time & time again shown he's not interested in getting better) yet I bet there are loads of Atkinson cases from the 80/90/early 00's. Whilst there is an element of self responsibility for individuals to manage their money a 90's football wage was easily blown if you weren't frugal and vulnerable to excess anyway. Nowadays you'd have to be a complete idiot to fritter it away given what even shite players earn. Would be hard for anybody to go from the below to complete nothingness.

 

[Aber gas]

I was on more about the people who complain the police treat them like shit when then continuously break the law.

Like the people who complained Mark Duggan was harshly treated.

Known criminal and drug dealer. Had a gun. He had it coming.

A gun was "found". Even the relevant chief Constable aired misgivings about the shooting and the subsequent inquiry. ( it was right fucking dodgy). I don't want to go into it because people have already made their minds up about it.
At what point does "he had it coming " become abuse of power and extra judicial execution or punishment? From reports Atkinson was a " stumbling, confused mess" and was tasered several times after being subdued as well as having the shit kicked out of him. I'm not having "he had it coming"

 

[St. Juste]

It appears Atkinson was a guy that went from top flight star to a complete down & out. I do wonder where the 'football family' were in his plight. Everyone seems to bend over backwards to help Gazza (who has time & time again shown he's not interested in getting better) yet I bet there are loads of Atkinson cases from the 80/90/early 00's. Whilst there is an element of self responsibility for individuals to manage their money a 90's football wage was easily blown if you weren't frugal and vulnerable to excess anyway. Nowadays you'd have to be a complete idiot to fritter it away given what even shite players earn. Would be hard for anybody to go from the below to complete nothingness.

It's a sad case, but it's not an isolated one and I think we'll see even more of it in years to come.

Football can be quite emotionally stunting, especially at the highest level, whilst a general lack of educational attainment will mean players are subject to the same kind of financial manipulation that is already rampant in boxing, NBA and NFL.

It is good that topics such as depression are more openly discussed in football but there is some way to go and I reckon we'll see a few more of these cases "when the light goes out". Giving out cushy ambassadorial roles seems the best option for many.

 

[Abertawe]

It's a sad case, but it's not an isolated one and I think we'll see even more of it in years to come.

Football can be quite emotionally stunting, especially at the highest level, whilst a general lack of educational attainment will mean players are subject to the same kind of financial manipulation that is already rampant in boxing, NBA and NFL.

It is good that topics such as depression are more openly discussed in football but there is some way to go and I reckon we'll see a few more of these cases "when the light goes out". Giving out cushy ambassadorial roles seems the best option for many.

Huge way to go I think. The amount of young players that make it tiny, yet loads don't. Clubs do try and provide avenues to prevent depression arising from not making it but it's not as easy as you'd think. I've got a mate who's field is in psychology, she has been invited to host seminars and supposedly be there to talk to young players on a 121 level. Last year she went to Bolton to hold a talk with their youthers, it went with quite a hitch, none of them turned up! Apparently that's very common.