The Authority oversaw a Police investigation into a complaint alleging that Police used excess force when arresting a man in the Whangarei township and at the Whangarei Police Station.
At about 2am on 18 June 2022, Police were called to two men fighting outside a bar in Whangarei.
While Police were engaging with two men fighting, the complainant injected himself into the situation. He was asked to leave the area and during this exchange he assaulted a female officer and was arrested. A struggle then ensued before he was restrained and taken to the Whangarei Police Station.
The complainant was charged with a number of offences including assaulting two Police officers and resisting arrest. He later complained about his arrest and the use of force when he was arrested in the township, and at the Police Station.
Police conducted an investigation under our oversight but the complainant did not wish to engage until the criminal charges against him had been dealt with. These were not dealt with until his trial in April 2024 where he was found guilty on all but one of the charges.
The Police investigation found the complaints were not upheld.
The Authority agrees with this finding.
IPCA: 22-14134