Police allegedly used a Taser on a drunk tourist after he directed racist abuse, including the N-word, at a Canadian man in Bangkok, Thailand.
Marsala Gueye, 34, was with two friends on Bangkok’s popular backpacker destination, Khao San Road, when the intoxicated man approached their table at a restaurant.
Gueye, who is Black and from Toronto, said the tourist attempted to join the group and tried to show them a book about Adolf Hitler. The friends asked him to leave them alone.
“He did not listen, and the situation eventually escalated. He became aggressive, made racist remarks and repeatedly used the N-word,” Gueye said.
“After we told him to leave, he later came back and tried to give me a mug. I did not personally recognise what was displayed on the mug at the time, but one of my friends told me that it had a Nazi swastika symbol on it.”
According to Gueye, the tourist grew increasingly hostile after being confronted, continuing to make racist comments and repeat the racial slur.
Gueye and his two Australian friends moved across the street in an attempt to put distance between themselves and the drunk man. However, he allegedly followed them.
Video recorded at around 8 a.m. on September 10 shows the intoxicated tourist, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, speaking with a local who appears to step between him and the group.
The man then walks towards the pavement before lying down on the ground.
While looking towards the tourists, he is seen shouting slogans praising Adolf Hitler and performing a Nazi salute several times.
The group responds, “Say it one more time,” before the tourist allegedly shouts the N-word, salutes Hitler and says, “Kanye West is my f—ing brother.”
Local residents reportedly contacted police because they feared the confrontation could turn into a physical fight.
In a second clip, the visibly angry tourist appears to charge towards Gueye.
Four police officers then step in and surround the man as one of Gueye’s friends retreats.
Gueye can be heard saying, “Get him away from me or I will f— him up,” while others urge officers to arrest the tourist.
One of the officers then approaches the ground, appearing to assume that he is the aggressor. However, his friend in a white shirt speaks to the officer and points out that the man in the Hawaiian shirt is the one causing trouble.
Moments later, as the drunk tourist continues to follow them, one of the officers takes out a taser and aims it at him.
The officer then pulls the trigger, sending an electric shock through the man’s body and causing him to fall to the ground as the police surround him.
The group are then told to move away while the authorities surround the man.
Gueye recalled that they also saw the man carrying luggage containing numerous Hitler- and Nazi-related items.
”I also personally witnessed him smash the Jack Daniel’s bottle, and I witnessed him become physically aggressive and assault one of the men who was with us,” he added.
“He was repeatedly using racist slurs and making offensive remarks towards us.”
Speaking today to ViralPress, officers said that the German tourist was not arrested. They said he went on his way once the confrontation had been de-escalated.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Komonsit Sawatmongkol, Deputy Superintendent of Patrol at Chanasongkhram Police Station, which covers Khao San Road, said: “The police officers intervened and separated both parties. At that time, they did not know who had started the incident, who was the suspect, who was the victim or what they had been arguing about.”
“One of the foreigners was Canadian, while the other party was believed to be German. The German, who was wearing a green shirt, appeared to be a little dizzy or possibly intoxicated.
“The officers told them not to cause any trouble and asked them to separate. Both parties said that there was nothing more to it and that the matter was over. They did not appear to want to hold a grudge or press charges, so both sides went home.”
Officers said that Gueye visited the police station later the same day to file a complaint about the incident. However, officers said that “no violence was witnessed” when they arrived.
They said that the incident was not being investigated further.
“The patrol officers did not witness any punching or physical assault,” Lieutenant Colonel Sawatmongkol added.
“They only saw the two parties throwing bottles at each other without hitting each other, so we did not have information at the time about who had started the incident or who had committed an offence.
“The alleged victims did not return to give further statements to the duty officer, so we do not have details about exactly what was said during the incident.”
