 Tasers deliver a 50,000 volt charge through two barbs |
Police in Scotland have used a Taser gun for the first time when they were called to deal with reports of an attempted robbery in North Lanarkshire. The suspect was overpowered by the weapon, which fires 50,000 volts, at about 2120 GMT on Wednesday.
The incident happened at a petrol station in Newmains, near Wishaw.
Police said a 39-year-old man had been released from hospital. He was arrested and was being held in police custody in connection with the incident.
A report was due to be sent to the procurator fiscal and the man was expected to appear at Hamilton Sheriff Court at a future date.
Police in Strathclyde have been carrying Tasers since September and became the first in Scotland to use the weapons.
Only trained firearms officers with the Strathclyde force have been permitted to use the Tasers, which were seen as a less lethal option than conventional firearms.
But opponents point to deaths in the US which they claim were caused by the gun, although none of the several lawsuits filed there for wrongful death have yet succeeded.