Billy Vunipola tasered twice during arrest at weekend in Spanish bar
Billy Vunipola was tasered twice by police officers before being arrested at 4.30am on Sunday morning after an incident in a bar in Majorca.
The arrest occurred in Epic bar in Palma after the England rugby international took off his shirt and began threatening customers and employees with bottles and chairs. According to Spanish police, Vunipola, who is 6ft 2in and weighs more than 20 stone, was then said to have been tasered after assaulting an officer.
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He was then taken to nearby Son Espases Hospital. Newspaper reports showed video footage of him being led from a police van into a local police station.
Vunipola issued a statement on Monday confirming the incident and apologising “for any inconvenience to all involved”. He said: “I can confirm I was involved in an unfortunate misunderstanding when I was leaving a club in Majorca on Sunday, which got out of hand.
“Contrary to media reports there was no violence, no fight and I did not threaten anybody at any stage, with bottles or chairs or anything else. I was charged with resisting the law and, following an ‘express trial’, I have paid a fine of €240.
“The Spanish police investigation is now closed and I am flying back to the UK today. I will obviously co-operate with the Saracens internal process and unreservedly apologise for any inconvenience to all involved.”
A spokesman for the National Police in Majorca said: “In the early hours of yesterday morning, at 4.30am, we arrested a 31-year-old foreign man on suspicion of a crime of disobedience and assaulting a police officer. The events took place in a leisure establishment on the seafront in Palma, when a man was causing altercations inside the establishment.
“The man would not listen to reason and confronted the rest of the customers, and the security staff were unable to restrain him or remove him from the premises. The police were alerted and the officers, on seeing the man, who was shirtless and making gestures with his hands, cleared the premises.
“It was then that he confronted the police and attempted to assault the officers. The police officers tried at all times to get him to calm down, but the man would not listen to reason. At that moment, the man pushed and slapped an officer and a policeman pulled out his electric stun gun and fired a first time although the gun didn’t discharge.
“A second projectile was then fired, which did the job, and it was then that the officers jumped on him and proceeded to immobilise him by shackling him, later taking him to Son Espases hospital for assessment and arrest.”
In a statement on Monday, Saracens said: “Saracens is aware of an incident involving Billy Vunipola in Majorca. We will of course deal with this incident internally, and will not make any further comment until then.”
The 31-year-old has won 75 England caps during a successful 10-year international career, although he missed out on the Six Nations this year. He made an appearance as a second-half substitute for Sarries in their 15-12 victory over Bath on Friday night before going on holiday as the club are not due to play again until 11 May.
Saracens sit second in the Premiership standings and are chasing a sixth league title in last 10 seasons with just two rounds of regular season games left before the playoffs.
