Policeman tasered by colleague after blinding himself

A police officer apprehended a man despite squirting pepper spray in his own face, having his jaw dislocated and being shot with a Taser - all on Friday 13th.

What should have been a routine call turned sour when Pc Jason Mepham tried to have a quiet word with Jason King following reports of a disturbance in Murdoch Close, Redruth, Cornwall.

King began to run away, but then turned and faced the chasing officer, squaring up for a fight.

The shocked officer tried to reason with King, but said he felt so threatened that he deployed his Captor control spray.

He sprayed once, which temporarily halted King's charge, but when his attacker charged again, he fired a second burst of gas, which blew back into his own face.

A colleague arrived and grabbed hold of King, but the ordeal was not over for Pc Mepham, who, disorientated, face burning and eyes watering, was punched by another man who arrived on the scene.

The officer told the West Briton newspaper: "I felt my jaw go to the side of my face and then my head followed. I had terrible shooting pains.

"I'd never had anything like it before. My jaw had to be dislocated."

Now badly injured and in considerable pain, Pc Mepham found himself in a desperate struggle with his new assailant.

The second officer, seeing his colleague in trouble, let go of King and fired his Taser gun.

Unfortunately, while one electrode hit its target, the second hit Pc Mepham, who was felled by the electric jolt.

As he lay on the floor, King ran around and kicked him hard in the face, relocating his jaw. At that point, police back-up arrived and arrested both offenders.

Pc Mepham went to hospital but was back on duty later that evening doing the paperwork.

Talking about his shocking ordeal, Pc Mepham admitted he had been frightened at the time, but could now see the funny side of it - particularly as it happened on Friday August 13.

He added: "It's quite amusing when I look back at it now, but at the time it was horrific."

Truro Magistrates' Court confirmed that King, 28, of Trehane Road, Camborne, Cornwall, pleaded guilty last week to assaulting a police officer.

He also admitted charges of common assault, of being drunk and disorderly, using threatening words or behaviour and two charges of travelling on the railway without paying a fare.

King was remanded into custody and his case adjourned until September 21 for the preperation of pre-sentence reports.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said Pc Mepham had suffered no lasting or serious injury from the incident.

"Police officers by the nature of their work often find themselves in unpredictable and hostile situations," the spokesman said.

"That is why their training is to a high level to equip them with the skills, knowledge and experience to prepare them, as best as possible, for these circumstances.

"Our officers do a fantastic job in often difficult conditions and every day there are instances of courage and bravery while the men and women of Devon and Cornwall Police go about their duty keeping our communities safe."