Yahoo News Man Tasered and arrested 'after coughing at police officers and claiming he had coronavirus'
A man has been Tasered and arrested after allegedly claiming he had Covid-19 and coughing over police officers.
The Metropolitan Police firearms command said on Twitter that the suspect had walked up to officers in a car in Haringey, north London, and "shouted that he had coronavirus before deliberately coughing saliva all over them".
He then began to physically attack them, officers said, before he was Tasered and arrested, police say.
The suspect was later tested for the virus and found not to have it.
A male was tasered by #SCO19 officers yesterday in the @MPSHaringey area, when he approached their vehicle and shouted that he had Coronavirus before deliberately coughing saliva all over them whilst also beginning to physically attack them. The male was arrested without injury. pic.twitter.com/kIJMMiCKhX
— MPS Firearms Command (@MPSFirearms)
Last week, director of public prosecutions Max Hill warned the public that using Covid-19 as a threat against emergency workers would be treated as a crime that could lead to up to two years in prison.
Deliberately coughing at other key workers such as supermarket staff could be prosecuted as a common assault, which could mean up to six months in prison.
Mr Hill said: "Let me be very clear: this is a crime and needs to stop. The CPS stands behind emergency and essential workers and will not hesitate to prosecute anybody who threatens them as they go about their vital duties."
The warning came after Darren Rafferty, 45, from Dagenham, admitted on Wednesday to deliberately coughing at Metropolitan Police officers before claiming he had Covid-19.
He admitted causing grievous bodily harm to his former partner and three counts of assault on an emergency worker and faces sentencing next month.
Elsewhere, David Mott, 40, of no fixed address, was jailed for 26 weeks on Wednesday after "coughing and spitting" at police officers in Blackburn who had stopped and questioned him about being with two others following the announcement of stricter social distancing rules on Monday night, Lancashire Constabulary said.
Reports of people deliberately coughing on our hardworking emergency workers are appalling. The @CPSuk have clearly said that this is a crime and will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who threatens the vital work of our emergency workers. https://t.co/k0wMG3OVB8
— Priti Patel #StayHomeSaveLives (@patel4witham)
It comes as Home Secretary Priti Patel announced on Thursday that Brits who continue to flout coronavirus lockdown rules will be arrested for breaking the law.
The emergency law, known as Health Protection Regulations 2020, means police can order members of the public to go home, leave an area, disperse a group, using "reasonable force, if necessary", and can make arrests if someone refuses to comply.
