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Counties Manukau officers investigated after allegation of excessive force during arrest

27 September 2024

The Authority oversaw a Police investigation into a complaint made directly to the Authority alleging that Police officers punched and kicked the complainant during his arrest, causing a superficial injuries to his inner ear and the webbing on his hand. The complainant also said the officers used unprofessional and abusive language while arresting him.

The complainant did not wish to provide a statement and did not want Police to investigate his complaint. The officers involved denied using unprofessional language, punching, or kicking the complainant during his arrest. The officers described taking the complainant to the ground and handcuffing him after he refused to follow their instructions.

The Police investigation found the officers were justified in using force to take the complainant to the ground. However, the investigation also found the officers did not appropriately report on the force they had used, which is a breach of policy. Police took appropriate action in response to this failing.

The Authority is satisfied with how the Police conducted their investigation and the process they followed.

IPCA: 24-21152

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