Force used during an arrest in South Auckland not justified
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that an officer used unjustified and excessive force during the arrest of a man in South Auckland.
At about 2.30am on 9 March 2021, Police arrested the man outside a house in South Auckland, for an incident which had occurred in central Auckland, about 20 minutes earlier. The man resisted the arrest and was taken to the ground. 11 officers were in the vicinity. During the struggle to place the man in handcuffs, an officer kneed and punched him in the face.
The officer, along with another officer, then used pepper spray on the man. The man subsequently stopped resisting and was taken into custody.
A relative of the man filmed parts of the event and later complained to the Authority that the kneeing and punches were excessive.
Authority Chair Judge Colin Doherty said: "I concluded that given the availability of other officers to assist in the arrest, the officer's use of force in kneeing and punching the man's face was not justified."
We delayed the release of our public report until the conclusion of Police action against the officer, where Police finally decided no criminal charges would be laid.
