LONDON – British prosecutors accused a police officer Tuesday of using unnecessary force against a Black former Premier League soccer player, who died after being kicked in the head and shot with a stun gun.
Dalian Atkinson, 48, a former Aston Villa star, went into cardiac arrest on the way to a hospital and died around 90 minutes after officers used a Taser on him to subdue him in 2016.
Prosecutors allege that West Mercia Police Constable Benjamin Monk, 42, used a stun gun for 33 seconds against Atkinson — more than six times longer than was standard.
Authorities charged Monk with murder and manslaughter after a three-year inquiry. Monk’s colleague, Police Constable Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, 31, is also facing trial charged with assault.