Dalian Atkinson, a former Aston Villa striker, died at the age of 48.
Dalian Atkinson, a former Aston Villa striker, died at the age of 48 after being blasted with a stun gun.
On Monday, the Press Association announced Atkinson’s death:
West Mercia Police said in a statement to ITV.com, “West Mercia Police are unable to comment any further as the incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), as is normal procedure, and will assist the IPCC with their inquiries.”
The Guardian’s Vikram Dodd reported on Thursday that two West Mercia police officers are being investigated.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service official told MailOnline’s Sam Tonkin on Aug. 15:
In his 16-year playing career, Atkinson also played for Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Manchester City, and Fenerbahce.
According to ITV.com, the police reacted to a call about “concerns for the safety of an individual” in the early hours of Monday morning, with the incident taking place about 1:30 a.m.
According to Lauren Fruen of the Sun, Atkinson was tasered outside his father’s home. Despite getting medical assistance, he was pronounced dead at around 3 a.m.
Aston Villa’s reaction to the news was as follows:
Former and current footballers, as well as broadcasters and journalists, expressed their condolences:
According to Graeme Brown of the Birmingham Mail, his former manager at Wednesday and Villa, Ron Atkinson, said:
Many people opted to recall Atkinson’s miraculous strike against Wimbledon in 1992, as former Premier League footballer-turned-pundit Kevin Kilbane did:
In the Premier League’s debut season, the goal was named Match of the Day’s Goal of the Season.
Another highlight of Atkinson’s career was scoring against Manchester United in the 1994 League Cup final, which Aston Villa won 3-1.
