The police watchdog has launched an investigation into the conduct of three officers after a black man in his 20s was left with a life-changing injury in an incident in north London where he was shot with a stun gun. Police on patrol in Haringey chased the man on Monday after he ran away from them following an approach, it is understood. They used the stun gun as he jumped over a wall and he fell, suffering serious back injuries, which his family fear could leave him at least partially paralysed. The man, whose family have since been in contact with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), was arrested for possession of cannabis with intent to supply and taken to hospital. The amount he had in his possession remains unclear. “This is an extremely serious incident where, we understand, a man has suffered life-changing injuries,” said IOPC regional director Sal Naseem. “We are in contact with his family and will keep them and him informed as we carry out our independent investigation. “Our role is to seek answers about what happened and share any learning highlighted by our investigations. Our investigation will look at all the circumstances and consider whether there are any conduct or criminal matters.” Naseem added: “In line with our tradition of policing by consent, the public has the right to expect police officers to be accountable when they use force, particularly if it leads to a death or serious injury.” Katrina Ffrench, chief executive of StopWatch – a coalition that promotes fair and accountable policing – said there was concern about the “ongoing disproportionate and unnecessary” use of force against black males. “This type of policing is not only dangerous for the individuals involved, but also obliterates people’s trust and confidence in an emergency service,” she said. “We demand that officers be held to account and disciplined. There must be robust mechanisms put in place to ensure that national guidelines are adhered to, especially as Tasers can be lethal.” The IOPC said the Metropolitan police had made a mandatory referral to them following the incident and that the force was fully cooperating. News of the incident emerged on Friday afternoon when the IOPC informed stakeholders. Det Ch Supt Treena Fleming, of the Met, said on Saturday afternoon: “All police officers are fully aware that they will be asked to account for their actions – officers are not exempt from the law and we would not wish to be. Three officers have been informed they are under investigation and placed on local restrictions.” On Wednesday, a man in Manchester was shot with a stun gun by police at point blank range in front of his young child, seemingly without warning or justification, amid growing concern about their use as weapons of first resort – particularly against BAME people. Following the incident, the human rights advocacy group Liberty called for their mass rollout to be stopped, claiming that their growing use exacerbated the over-policing of minority and marginalised communities. In a letter to Greater Manchester police, a coalition of groups called for an end to “racist” police practices. Analysis of Home Office figures shows stun guns were used against black people in England and Wales at a rate almost eight times greater than against white people in 2018-19. A number of civil society organisations quit the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s independent Taser advisory group last month in protest against a lack of meaningful action to address the disproportion. A week later, the Home Office and the College of Policing effectively rejected a call from a coroner to institute “a wholesale review of the effects of multiple Taser activations” due to what was described as a lack of independent data about their lethality.