August 25 – Doctors battled in vain for 35 minutes to save ex-English top-flight footballer Dalian Atkinson after he was tasered by police, the inquest into his death has heard.
The 48-year-old former Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich striker went into cardiac arrest on his way to hospital, where he was pronounced dead 90 minutes after the incident took place on 15 August.
The inquest has been adjourned until November 22 after post-mortem tests failed to establish the cause of death. Two police officers have been suspended pending a criminal investigation.
Atkinson scored 23 goals in 85 appearances for Villa between 1991 and 1995 and is best remembered for the goal of the season in the 1992-93 campaign – the inaugural Premier League season. He also scored the opener in the 1994 League Cup final win over Manchester United.
Following his death, relatives said he was “not in his right mind,” and was suffering a number of health issues. Police had been called to his elderly father’s home where Atkinson was reported to be threatening to kill him.
Campaigners, meanwhile, have raised concerns about the safety of the stun guns and called for restrictions on their use until more is known about the risks.
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