The Authority oversaw a Police investigation following a collision involving a police vehicle in Palmerston North.
The investigation determined an officer (Officer A) observed a vehicle conduct a sudden U-Turn then drive off at speed. The driver was wearing a face covering to conceal their identity and Officer A could not see the vehicle registration number.
Officer A followed the vehicle, at times using their lights and sirens to navigate traffic while providing commentary on their manner of driving to police communications. Officer A believed they were not engaged in a pursuit due to the distance between themselves and the vehicle.
Another officer (Officer B) attempted to get into a position where road spikes could be deployed to stop the vehicle, but they decided it was not safe to deploy these due to the proximity of other motorists. The officer decided to turn their patrol car across traffic in an attempt to block the driver’s path. The driver then rammed a civilian vehicle and mounted a curb before ramming Officer B’s patrol car in order to escape. Officer B attempted to move their patrol car to avoid a collision but there was insufficient time to do so; The driver was later located and arrested.
The Investigation concluded Officer A engaged in an inappropriate pursuit which did not comply with policy and this likely affected the driver’s subsequent behaviour. Officer B used their patrol car to create a roadblock to try to prevent the driver escaping. As Officer B was not authorised to use this tactic, they also breached policy.
Both officers’ actions were addressed by confidential employment outcomes. The Authority agrees with the findings of the investigation.
IPCA: 22-16023