20/01/2017 Points West

An investigation's been launched after an Avon and Somerset police

officer tasered one of the force's former race relations

It was filmed by a neighbour, in what appears to be a case

Last Saturday in Easton and two police officers confront a man.

They think, mistakenly, that he's someone they want for questioning.

One officer's holding a yellow taser weapon.

But the man refuses to identify himself.

Ras Adunbi says after the taser incident he was taken to hospital,

then to a police cell in Patchway before being

As a former chairman of the Independent Advisory

Group on race relations he's furious and thinks that police officers have

When they took over they liked to impose their own rules.

Neighbours we spoke to also think the use

From my experience of police in this area, it's been OK

but I just think it is totally unacceptable.

Those from black and minority ethnic groups are three

times more likely to be tasered by police in the UK.

Such discharges don't have to be refered to the The Independent

Avon and Somerset Police saying in a statement....

Bristol's main anti-racism charity is also investigating,

worried the tasering of such a well known person

Young people who have had issues with the police will look

at this and say, this is what I have been telling you.

This is what can happen just because of the colour of my

Ras Adunbi says he was mistaken for the same

Back then receiving compensation for an injured shoulder.

He said that's why he didn't identify himself this time.

Well, earlier I spoke to Ruth Pickersgill -

a councillor for Easton in Bristol where this all happened.

I asked her if tensions had become raised in the community

Well, to be honest, everybody is horrified because everybody knows

Ras Adunbi as a respected member of the community.

He is very well-known locally and it is not something we

expect to see on our streets in broad daylight,

We have seen the footage now most of us on the television and I have

The main thing for us is, there needs to be

a verythorough investigation and it needs to be transparent.

People need to be accountable for what happened.

The police did not have two review this.

I think it is right and proper and I'm pleased they are.

Is there a feeling in Easton that the police can be racist?

I think that is a really completed question.

I think on the whole we work really in Easton and Easton is known

for its good community relations and people get

The police are very often part of those good community relations.

I think in any big institution we always

have to keep reviewing whether

there is any unconscious bias or anything is going

I would say that relations are good in Easton on a whole,

The sort of incident can put back race relations for years if it does

Do you feel like it's time to look at an

I think it needs to be only used when it is

I am about the same age and if I had been coming out of my house

and I had refused to give my name, I doubt I would have been tasered.

There's something about the use of the taser but something about

proportionate responses to particular situations.

In other news - there have been demonstrations in the West today

as Donald Trump became the new American president.

Around 300 people turned out in the centre

of Bristol this evening to show their disapproval.

They're concerned about President Trump's views

including his stance on the environment.

Princess Anne has officially opened a new building in south

Gloucestershire for patients recovering from brain injuries.

The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit at Frenchay

needed to expand because more people are now surviving serious

It has now almost doubled in size to 52 beds.

Now the crowds have been flocking to Bristol's Colston Hall tonight

for Gala Night at the Slapstick Festival!

The five day event celebrates silent, visual and classic comedy -

and is now in its 13th year as audience numbers

A host of comedy stars have been busy helping to share the magic.

We have got a screening of the Freshman, Harold Lloyd.

Back in 1925, people who know their silent movies

will know he is one of the big heroes along with Buster Keaton

Some people might have not seen a silent

With an orchestra it will be a very, very special atmosphere.

I'm hosting something but I don't know anything about it.

If you are interested, the festival is an all weekend. I will wish you a

good night. We are feel cooler. Can we keep it going

until the start of the new week? I suspect we can. Unconfirmed about --

concerned about the fog around. Here is Helen with the national picture.

Good evening. The weather is upon us. The cloud has made all the

difference this week in particular. We have had some wonderful weather

watcher pictures, this is Marlowe in Buckinghamshire, this was Conwy

earlier in the day. Some areas still have the cloud. What a difference

that