A man who died after being shot by police with a Taser was from Huddersfield.

The victim of the tragedy has been named locally as 34-year-old Adrian McDonald.

He died shortly after being shot with a Taser by officers responding to a reported break-in at a house in Staffordshire, in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Staffordshire Police said the man “became unresponsive” and despite the efforts of paramedics died a short time later.

News of the tragedy has devastated Mr McDonald’s family who live in Dalton.

His grieving family told the Examiner this morning they were too upset to talk and were seen comforting each other at this difficult time.

Staffordshire Police has now referred the investigation to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is standard protocol under the circumstances.

The IPCC today has not named the deceased but said in a statement: “The 34-year-old man was arrested and taken to a police van. The man then became unresponsive and an ambulance was called. He was pronounced dead at the scene at around 2.30 am.

A general view of a block of flats in Audley Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
A general view of a block of flats in Audley Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.

“A post mortem was carried out yesterday. HM Coroner has been informed.”

IPCC investigators attended following the referral from Staffordshire Police yesterday morning. The investigators have made contact with the man’s family to explain the IPCC’s involvement.

IPCC Commissioner Kathryn Stone OBE said: “I would like to express my sincere condolences to the man’s family at this difficult time. We are at a very early stage of our independent investigation into the actions police took at the scene. We will be examining closely police involvement in this incident and the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.”

Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis said it was “immensely sad” a man had lost his life, but added it would be inappropriate to comment further during an on-going IPCC investigation.

He said: “The police informed me soon after the incident happened. This is a formal matter for the IPCC and they have also been informed.”

The incident was at a block of flats in Newcastle-under-Lyme near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, just after 1am.

The flat’s occupants, understood to be a young couple with a little boy, were not inside when officers arrived, according to a force spokesman.

However, another man was in the first floor flat and officers deployed a Taser.