Police to note: the officer has name suppression.
The Authority oversaw a Police investigation into a complaint that an officer used excess force during the arrest of a person who was wanted by Police. It was alleged that the officer forcefully dropped his knee onto the person’s lower back on two occasions before kicking him.
Police commenced a criminal investigation into the officer’s actions and the threshold for prosecution was met, resulting in the officer being charged with assault. However, the charge was withdrawn following the completion of further enquiries, as it was felt that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction, and it was no longer in the public interest to pursue the matter.
An employment investigation in respect of records maintained by the officer following the person’s arrest was finalised following the conclusion of the criminal matter.
IPCA 22-14341