Home Contact Us

We are the only NZ Police oversight body

We are not part of the NZ Police

Under law we are fully independent

If you have a complaint about the NZ Police, you can come to us

Mana Whanonga Pirihimana Motuhake

Home / Investigation Reports & Media / 2019-20-summaries-of-police-investigations

Alleged use of excess force at a Canterbury Police District custody unit

14 January 2020

The Authority oversaw a Police investigation following an allegation that a Police officer used excess force against a detainee who was being processed at the Canterbury Police District custody unit.

The officer's actions were examined as part of a criminal investigation, but the possibility that the officer was acting in self-defence could not be excluded.

At the conclusion of the criminal investigation, the officer's actions were examined as part of an employment investigation. This found that the officer's initial response to the threat that he believed the detainee posed was appropriate, but that further applications of force were not justified as other officers were gaining control of the detainee.

An appropriate employment sanction was imposed, and the Authority agrees with this outcome.

IPCA: 17-2182

MoST Content Management V3.0.9064