Police forced to release footage of man, 60s, being tasered, pepper-sprayed at care home

SA Police have been forced to release footage of the moment two officers, who have been stood down, tasered and pepper-sprayed a sick man at a care home.

SA Police has backflipped on its decision to block media from releasing CCTV footage of a man in his 60s being tasered and pepper sprayed by two officers at a residential care facility in the southern suburbs.

On Wednesday afternoon, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens authorised the release of the footage that shows two police officers dragging a man out the front door of the house and pinning him to the ground.

The man can be seen trying to escape the grips of the officers.

Two SA Ambulance officers are also on the scene

“Within the past 24 hours, South Australia Police have been able to better understand the requirements of the Commissioner’s Inquiry into an incident involving police officers and a man at a care facility in Southern District on 26 October 2023,” the SAPOL statement read.

“In consultation with the Deputy Commissioner, the Commissioner of Police has authorised the disclosure and publication of CCTV from outside the care facility only.

“The Commissioner of Police further authorises the disclosure and publication of media interviews with witnesses, as long as it does not identify, or tend to identify, the police officers involved.”

A grab from CCTV released by SAPOL of taser victim Mick Francis. Picture: SAPOL

The two police officers in the video have been stood down from operational duty on full pay.

The backflip comes after SA Police released a statement on Tuesday saying protocol

SAPOL taser victim Mick Francis. Picture: Facebook

prohibited the disclosure or publication of information on such matters but Mr Stevens decided it was in the public interest to disclose the incident and complaint.

The incident raised questions about laws that prevent media outlets publishing details about police complaints, including CCTV footage of the tasering incident.

9NEWS has reported Mick Francis, who lives with the rare degenerative Huntington's disease that affects the brain’s nerve cells and can result in movement, thinking and psychiatric disorders, as the victim.

Mr Francis remains in hospital with minor injuries, according to 9NEWS.

Ten days after police attended the residential care facility on November 5, a complaint was made to the Office for Public Integrity about the conduct of the attending officers.

Police reviewed body-worn footage, which was also seen by Commissioner Grant Stevens and Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams, and following an assessment a criminal and disciplinary investigation as well as a commissioner’s inquiry were launched.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Premier Peter Malinauskas said it was ultimately up to SAPOL if the footage could be published.

The Advertiser understands Mr Francis lives with the degenerative Huntington's disease. Picture: Facebook

“SAPOL is as it currently stands applying the law as it has been written,” Mr Malinauskas said.

Mr Malinauskas said current laws prohibiting publication of details the incident – other than what was authorised by police – were already being reviewed.

“There is already a parliamentary review underway – no doubt this particular issue will be examined during that piece of work,” he said.

When asked if he thought SAPOL should not have blocked the publishing of the footage he said it wasn’t for him to “cast judgment on specific police operation” but it is his job “to cast judgment on the laws SAPOL have to abide by”.

Speaking to 7NEWS a relative to Mr Francis, who did not want to be identified, took aim at the residential care home for not contacting the family first about his behaviour.

“Don’t bring the police into it because they’ve got enough on their hands,” they said.

It comes after Cooma grandmother Clare Nowland, 95, died a week after she was tasered by police in her NSW nursing home in May.