Great-grandfather fighting for life after being Tasered for carrying butter knife
A great-granddad Tasered by police for carrying a butter knife almost died from the blow.
Nursing home staff called on the police on David Litherland, 73, out of fear the advanced Alzheimer's sufferer, with no history of violence, would attack them.
Horrified wife of 40 years Theresa, 62, was shocked to arrive at the home to see a police officer knock David who she says always keeps cutlery in his pocket to the ground with a taser.
Theresa said: "He wasn't dangerous, he was just agitated, as I call it. They know he always carried cutlery in his pocket and this time was no different".
"I did say to the policeman: 'what did you think he was going to do to you?' But he wasn't in any good mood to respond.
"Obviously with his Alzheimer's, David hadn't any idea what happened and thought he was fine straight after but he's still in hospital."
Grandfather David was rushed to hospital after he hit his head as a police officer attempted to fire 50,000 volts into his chest.
Staff at The Gables in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, called an ambulance for David after signs of aggression at lunch, the ambulance dispatch told the police.
Fortunately the taser fired by the police officer, who had no knowledge of David's health condition, did not deploy an electric shock which could have easily killed him.
A father of seven, grandfather of 10 and great-grandfather of two, David also has two brain tumours and is still in hospital recovering from head injuries weeks after the incident on June 23.
His furious wife Theresa, from Birmingham said: "It shocked me more than anyone having seen him being treated like that, it was heartbreaking".
"I got there at the same time as the police. David clearly wasn't dangerous at all. It's just what the home had told the ambulance people. He didn't do anything different to what he always did.
"David was eating lunch when he started acting aggressively which could've been caused by him feeling unwell or frustrated because he can't process his emotions.
"I got a call asking me to come to help and when I got there I saw the police going in too, but I had no idea what for.
"They asked David three times to take his hands out of his pocket and when he eventually he did, he produced the butter knife and they fired a taser at him."
Theresa said: "He was getting too much for me at home so we moved him out to The Gables. This is the first time police have ever been called on him so I can't believe they pulled out a taser on him.
"It's the staff's fault anyway because they stopped his medication, he was doing great until they stopped his tablets.
"They stopped because his prolactin levels were too high, but he's been put straight back on them, so it can't have been that bad.
"I'm really grateful to the ambulance people who stayed with David."
"We're now looking for a new nursing home for him and are waiting for a list of the ones nearby to come through."
Former engineer David is being cared for at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield after a scan to check for a brain bleed.
West Midlands Police said officers found David aggressive and in possession of a knife.
They said: "As they approached he threatened them. They deployed a Taser so he could be safely restrained."
Care home owner Sarj Bisla said: "We called the ambulance, told them his medical history and that he had a knife. They must have informed the police.
"The officers who came didn't know about David's illness."
