Man tasered after hour-long standoff in Roumelia Lane (From Bournemouth Echo)

Man tasered after hour-long standoff in Roumelia Lane

7:30am Wednesday 27th February 2013 in News

A MAN was tasered by police officers yesterday following a one-hour standoff at a flat in Boscombe.

Officers were called to Roumelia Lane at 12.29pm following reports a “distressed” man had shut himself in a flat.

A cordon was placed at either end of the lane for the public’s safety while specially-trained officers negotiated with the man.

Dozens of police officers, some wearing helmets and carrying shields, and a team of paramedics attended the incident.

Bournemouth East Neighbourhood Inspector Chris Weeks said: “At 12.29pm yesterday Dorset Police received a report of a concern for welfare for a man at an address in Roumelia Lane in Bournemouth.

“Officers attended and a man in his forties was arrested on suspicion of affray and is helping officers with their enquiries.

“In the interests of the public’s and officers’ safety, a cordon was put in place at the junctions of Roumelia Lane with Sea Road and Adeline Road. A taser was also deployed.”

One resident, who didn’t want to be named, said: “I live just off the lane and it just appears to be one thing after another at the moment. It is worrying when you live here.

“But they have tried really hard to make it nicer down here and it does look and feel a lot better.”

Rosie Bavaso, who owns Rosie’s Cafe in the road, said the incident involved the friend of a tenant in the block of flats who appeared to be very “distressed and upset”.

“The police had a mediator who spent about half an hour talking to the man. He then came down and was handcuffed and put into the van.

“They closed the lane for about an hour as a safety precaution.”

Rosie added: “Every time the police have responded to an incident here, they have done an excellent job.”

An employee at Majestic Gym said the disturbance came from a flat just metres away.

He added: “It sounds like there might have been fighting.

“I didn’t see it. There were three or four police cars and two ambulances.”