By . Tom Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 10:14 EST, 27 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:54 EST, 27 September 2013 . A police watchdog has decided that tasering a man who then suffered a life-threatening heart attack was justified. James McCarthy, 23, is suing Merseyside Police after he was hit twice with a Taser at a hotel in Liverpool in September last year. His solicitor Sophie Khan said: 'James McCarthy does not accept the findings of the IPCC investigation. He disputes that the Taser use was justified. Warning: Medics told the police watchdog the use of Taser nay have led to a 22-year-old suffering a serious heart attack . 'My client suffered a cardiac arrest as a result of the Taser and sustained a serious injury following the incident. 'Mr McCarthy is now pursuing a civil . claim against Merseyside Police for damages. Mr McCarthy has asked for . his privacy to be respected whilst he recovers for his injury.' Police watchdog the Independent . Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said that use of the stun guns was . justified, but that one of the officers involved should have more . training. Debilitating: The electrified dart fired from the Taser delivered a 50,000-volt shock (Stock picture) The team was called to a Premier Inn . in Albert Dock at around 2.50am on September 30 last year where a group . of men were fighting. Mr McCarthy was hit twice, including by one discharge that lasted 11 seconds, and suffered a cardiac arrest. Tasers are being fired up to five times a day in the UK as police officers rely increasingly on the potentially deadly stun guns. There has been a huge investment in the 50,000-volt weapons in the decade since they were introduced, and police chiefs estimate they are now fired as often as 1,800 times a year. Senior officers are bracing for criticism as use of the stun guns soars. Figures published earlier this month show the number of confrontations involving Tasers more than doubled between 2009 and 2011, from 3,500 to 7,250. There are 14,700 officers trained to use Tasers, after their availability was expanded from highly trained marksmen to specialist units and beat officers. Because of the potential threat of . violence, the IPCC found that using the stun guns was 'proportionate and . appropriate', but that one officer was not aware of how long he was . passing electric current through the Taser and there was a delay in . checking whether Mr McCarthy was OK. The IPCC said that medical staff told . them that the cardiac arrest could have been caused by the Taser, but . that the presence of cocaine and cannabis in his system and raised . adrenaline levels could have contributed. IPCC commissioner James . Dipple-Johnstone said: 'It is a difficult judgment to make in the heat . of an incident, but it is important for public confidence that police . officers are able to account for their decision to use force, including . Taser, and that any force used against the public is at the minimum . level required. 'In this case, officers responded to a . violent situation involving a number of people. 'Our investigation found . they had valid concerns for both their safety and that of the public . and, as such, use of force including Taser was reasonable. 'However, our investigation did . identify areas for improvement in how long the Taser was used for and . how long it took for welfare checks to be made by officers when the . subject of the Taser use was restrained and suffering a medical . emergency. 'We have shared these with the police so that they can be considered in future training of officers.'
James McCarthy, 23 was tasered twice - including 11 second burst .
He required life-saving care after incident at Premier Inn hotel, Albert Dock, Liverpool .
Cardiac arrest could have been caused by Taser, according to medics .
Police watchdog finds delay in conducting appropriate welfare checks .
By . Tom Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 10:14 EST, 27 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:54 EST, 27 September 2013 . A police watchdog has decided that tasering a man who then suffered a life-threatening heart attack was justified. James McCarthy, 23, is suing Merseyside Police after he was hit twice with a Taser at a hotel in Liverpool in September last year. His solicitor Sophie Khan said: 'James McCarthy does not accept the findings of the IPCC investigation. He disputes that the Taser use was justified. Warning: Medics told the police watchdog the use of Taser nay have led to a 22-year-old suffering a serious heart attack . 'My client suffered a cardiac arrest as a result of the Taser and sustained a serious injury following the incident. 'Mr McCarthy is now pursuing a civil . claim against Merseyside Police for damages. Mr McCarthy has asked for . his privacy to be respected whilst he recovers for his injury.' Police watchdog the Independent . Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said that use of the stun guns was . justified, but that one of the officers involved should have more . training. Debilitating: The electrified dart fired from the Taser delivered a 50,000-volt shock (Stock picture) The team was called to a Premier Inn . in Albert Dock at around 2.50am on September 30 last year where a group . of men were fighting. Mr McCarthy was hit twice, including by one discharge that lasted 11 seconds, and suffered a cardiac arrest. Tasers are being fired up to five times a day in the UK as police officers rely increasingly on the potentially deadly stun guns. There has been a huge investment in the 50,000-volt weapons in the decade since they were introduced, and police chiefs estimate they are now fired as often as 1,800 times a year. Senior officers are bracing for criticism as use of the stun guns soars. Figures published earlier this month show the number of confrontations involving Tasers more than doubled between 2009 and 2011, from 3,500 to 7,250. There are 14,700 officers trained to use Tasers, after their availability was expanded from highly trained marksmen to specialist units and beat officers. Because of the potential threat of . violence, the IPCC found that using the stun guns was 'proportionate and . appropriate', but that one officer was not aware of how long he was . passing electric current through the Taser and there was a delay in . checking whether Mr McCarthy was OK. The IPCC said that medical staff told . them that the cardiac arrest could have been caused by the Taser, but . that the presence of cocaine and cannabis in his system and raised . adrenaline levels could have contributed. IPCC commissioner James . Dipple-Johnstone said: 'It is a difficult judgment to make in the heat . of an incident, but it is important for public confidence that police . officers are able to account for their decision to use force, including . Taser, and that any force used against the public is at the minimum . level required. 'In this case, officers responded to a . violent situation involving a number of people. 'Our investigation found . they had valid concerns for both their safety and that of the public . and, as such, use of force including Taser was reasonable. 'However, our investigation did . identify areas for improvement in how long the Taser was used for and . how long it took for welfare checks to be made by officers when the . subject of the Taser use was restrained and suffering a medical . emergency. 'We have shared these with the police so that they can be considered in future training of officers.'
James McCarthy, 23, is suing Merseyside Police after he was hit twice with a Taser at a hotel in Police watchdog the Independent . Police picture) The team was called to a Premier Inn . in Albert Dock at around 2.50am on September 30 Mr McCarthy was hit twice, including by one cardiac arrest could have been caused by the