Scissett man Tasered after `Dirty Harry’ stunt

Sep 28 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

CLINT Eastwood fan Richard Gant brandished a “Dirty Harry” type handgun in his local club.

But hours later, the Scissett man was Tasered and shot with plastic baton rounds by armed police after a siege.

Yesterday a court heard how 48-year-old Gant refused to follow orders from the West Yorkshire officers.

Although Gant had put the replica cap-firing gun back in his home before being challenged by the officers in Sunnymead, Scissett, Bradford Crown Court heard he was hit in the back with a Taser round after he refused to take his hand out of his pocket.

Prosecutor Dave Mackay said the officers were proceeding on the basis that drunken Gant still had the weapon which he had brandished in Scissett WMC.

In the club, Gant was seen ranting and raving about being abused in the past and threatening to kill himself.

“He kept taking the gun out of his trousers, waving it around, putting it to his head and then back in his trousers,” said Mr Mackay.

A woman in the club persuaded him to go home, but armed officers were sent there after Gant told another member of the public that he might as well put the gun to his own head and pull the trigger.

During the incident in April, officers aimed plastic bullet guns and Tasers at him in the street.

When he refused to take his hand out of his pocket one officer discharged his Taser at Gant’s back but it didn’t penetrate his leather jacket.