An investigation was carried out on two police officers in Britain on Thursday (August 18) as part of a criminal probe into the death of a former football player after he was tasered by police.
Forty eight year old Dalian Atkinson, who played for Aston Villa in the early 1990s, died on Monday (August 15) in Telford, western England.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) watchdog said a probe into the circumstances of his death led to two local police officers being put under investigation and served with gross misconduct notices,.
‘Having carefully considered the evidence gathered so far, we are undertaking a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr Atkinson's death and the level and type of force used,’ IPCC Commissioner Derrick Campbell said in a statement.
The two police officers are due to be interviewed by investigators and the IPCC stressed the development did not mean criminal charges would necessarily follow.
Atkinson was Tasered after police were called to an Telford address at around 1:30am (0030 GMT) on Monday (August 15). The ambulance service said he went into cardiac arrest en route to hospital.
A post mortem was carried out on Wednesday (August 15) ruled the cause of death as inconclusive, with further tests to be carried out. Relatives said Atkinson had been suffering from kidney problems and a weak heart.
A day after his death fans at Atkinson's former club Aston Villa paid tribute to the former player, breaking into a minute's applause in the 10th minute of their game against Huddersfield.
Atkinson wore the number 10 shirt as a striker for the club. He began his career at Ipswich Town and went on to play for Spanish club Real Sociedad before moving to Villa.
