NZ police acknowledge IPCA findings into use of force during arrest

As stated by Superintendent Karyn Malthus, Auckland City District Commander:

Police acknowledge the findings of an Independent Police Conduct Authority report into the use of force during an arrest in Auckland last year.

Just after midnight on 21 June 2020, Police came across a man spray-painting on a wall in Hopetoun Street, Auckland City. When officers stopped to speak to the man, he ran off but was quickly apprehended.

The IPCA agreed it was reasonable for Police to apprehend the offender and bring him to the ground in order to make an arrest.

The offender, who officers believed was holding a weapon, struggled against Police, who then used force to successfully put the man in custody. This was a volatile and dynamic situation.

However, the IPCA says the use of force following the arrest were disproportionate to the risk posed by the man and was deemed excessive.

The IPCA also found that Police responded appropriately in providing the man with medical care for his injuries, and there was no evidence the officers profiled him or used excessive force because of his ethnicity.

The officers involved remain members of NZ Police.