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Home / Outcomes / 2024 Summaries of Police Investigations

Police dog bites man after vehicle pursuit at Hamilton

2 August 2024

The Authority oversaw a Police investigation into an incident involving a dog handler and his partner pursuing and arresting a fleeing driver at Hamilton. The driver was bitten by the dog and required surgery.

At 11.56pm on Monday 2 October 2023, a Police dog handler and his partner saw a man driving a car in the suburb of Fairfield, Hamilton. Because the car’s driver’s side window was broken, and the driver appeared to be hiding his face, the officers considered the vehicle was probably stolen, and went to stop it with lights and sirens. However, the driver failed to stop and accelerated away.

Police followed the driver for 7 minutes 30 seconds, without declaring they were in pursuit. At this point the Communications Centre told the officers to stop following. Simultaneously, the fleeing driver hit the roadside kerb causing the car to stop. The driver then ran from his car.

Police tracked and located the man with the Police dog. The man appeared in at Court on failing to stop and driving charges. The vehicle was not stolen.

The Police incident investigation found that officers breached their fleeing driver policy and provided training conversations to the officers and Communication Centre staff. Police found the force used by the dog handler was justified, and we agreed.

IPCA: 23-19918

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