Police tasered 'blind drunk' knife threat Wakefield man four times, Leeds Crown Court told

A man who was "blind drunk" when he  threatened a shopkeeper with a knife was tasered four times before being arrested by police in Wakefield a court heard.
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Factory worker Josue Merchan refused to comply with police orders during the incident on Agbrigg Road, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor, Rukshanda Hussain, said Merchan, 29, smashed a window on an Audi car parked on Agbrigg Road just before 9.30am on August 26 last year.

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The shopkeeper who owned the car confronted Merchan, who produced a six-inch knife and the shopkeeper went back into his shop.

Agbrigg Road in Wakefield
Image: GoogleAgbrigg Road in Wakefield
Image: Google
Agbrigg Road in Wakefield Image: Google

Miss Hussain said police arrived and saw Merchan - who was drunk and aggressive - in the middle of the street.

She said two police officers pointed tasers at Merchan, who was shouting "get the police, you are not the police."

One of the officers tasered Merchan, who fell to the ground.

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The officers tried to handcuff Merchan, but he got to his feet and was tasered again.

The court heard Merchan fell to the floor again before being tasered for a third time as the officers tried to handcuff him.

Miss Hussain said Merchan continued to struggle and was tasered for a fourth time.

But the taser failed and he ran away, shouting "They are going to kill me."

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The court heard Merchan ran towards the officers and one rugby tackled him and he was handcuffed after a short struggle.

Gareth Henderson-Moore, mitigating, said : "He described himself as extremely drunk at the time of the offence.

"He had been assaulted by a group of males and he had injuries before the police intervened.

"The reason he approached the shop was to have the police alerted because of the assault."

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Mr Henderson-Moore said Merchan is from Ecuador and has worked in a factory in the UK for eight years.

Merchan, of Elm Tree Street, Wakefield, admitted having a bladed article and assaulting an emergency worker.

Judge Robin Mairs told Merchan: "Police arrived and found you in the middle of the street, blind drunk, shouting, aggressive, incoherent."

Judge Mairs handed Merchan a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered him to do 200 hours of unpaid work.