Former Premier League footballer Dalian Atkinson was repeatedly hit by the officer after being Tasered to the ground in Telford.
The family of Dalian Atkinson have reacted with “disappointment” after a police officer found guilty of having unlawfully batoned the ex-Aston Villa striker kept her job following a disciplinary hearing.
Elaine Atkinson, Mr Atkinson’s older sister who attended with other relatives, reacted to the decision, saying “I suppose they look out for their own, it seems”, describing her family as “shattered” by more than six years of trials and hearings. Ms Bettley-Smith – known as Ellie – was cleared of assaulting Mr Atkinson after a trial, but the Independent Office for Police Conduct found there was a gross misconduct disciplinary case to answer for her use of force.
The panel previously heard how Mr Atkinson was heard to repeatedly refer to himself as the “Messiah” before he was felled by the third Taser, also variously telling officers “do you know what I am capable of” and “you don’t know who the f*** I am, you can shoot 10,000 volts through my body, you won’t get me – you won’t stop me”.
But deciding against sacking Bettley-Smith, Mr Khan said: “It constituted three baton strikes and needs to be properly viewed as an isolated and brief lapse of judgment in what was clearly a fast-moving incident, where, in a matter of seconds, she made a serious error of judgment resulting in her use of force.”
Reacting afterwards, Mr Atkinson’s older sister said: “I am disappointed really with the outcome because I did feel that it was serious enough .“His life wasn’t as important and what we have gone through the past six years and the fact they’re talking about her being on the rack.“At the end of the day, Dalian’s gone and it’s down to those officers.”
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