The Police Ombudsman has found that police acted properly when they used a Taser to subdue a man who was armed with a knife in a Belfast hostel for the homeless.
Police were called after a number of residents of the hostel reported seeing the man (Man A) with a knife partially hidden inside a plaster cast on his right arm.
The incident happened in the early hours of March 11, 2009. Man A had moved into the hostel the previous day.
One resident who noticed the knife reported that Man A seemed uneasy and paranoid, and had told him he had heard that the hostel was a nasty place.
Another resident who also noticed the knife tucked into the plaster cast said Man A had pushed past him into his room when he answered a knock at the door.
He said Man A appeared to be under the influence of something and he could not make out anything that he was saying. He managed to push him back out of the room and asked his partner to phone reception.
A member of hostel staff then called police and when officers arrived they were taken to Man A's room. When he answered the door an officer shouted: "Armed police, show me your hands."
Police and civilian witnesses said a knife was then clearly visible, with the blade pointing towards Man A's fingers and the end of the handle tucked into the plaster cast.
An officer ordered him to drop the knife, and when he failed to comply a Taser was used against him, causing him to fall to the floor and allowing police to seize the knife.
An ambulance was called to the scene, but in the meantime an officer with first aid training removed the barbs discharged from the Taser from Man A's arm and torso, before cleaning and dressing the puncture wounds.
Man A declined hospital treatment and was then arrested for possession of an offensive weapon and taken to Musgrave Street custody suite.
After being examined by a doctor in custody the following morning, Man A was admitted to hospital suffering a suspected collapsed lung. Tests revealed, however, that he had suffered only soft tissue damage.
Police Ombudsman investigators obtained statements from police witnesses, as well as from hostel staff and residents, whose accounts supported those given by the police.
The Police Ombudsman, Mr Al Hutchinson, concluded that the use of Taser during the incident was justified, lawful and necessary.
He noted that police had tried other options before deciding to use Taser - including trying to reason with Man A, providing him with an opportunity to drop the knife, and warning him about the use of Taser.
In addition, although police guidelines state that Taser barbs should be removed by medical personnel rather than police, Mr Hutchinson said the fact that a first aid trained officer removed them was likely to have reduced the discomfort experienced by Man A.