The Authority oversaw a Police investigation into an incident where a detainee sustained a head injury while two officers were escorting him to a cell in the Palmerston North Police Custody Unit in April 2024.
The man was in handcuffs while being escorted due to his aggression towards staff. While walking, he kicked out at one of the officers which caused them all to fall to the ground.
The man’s head hit the concrete floor and he was knocked unconscious. He was given immediate first aid before being transported to hospital by paramedics.
During their investigation Police reviewed CCTV which showed the incident from multiple angles and also spoke with all staff who were present at the time it occurred, and spoke the man but he had no recollection of the incident.
The Authority agrees with the Police finding that when the man kicked the officer it caused all three parties to lose their balance and fall to the floor. Due to being handcuffed, the man was not able to break his fall and his head impacted the concrete floor. This happened extremely quickly, and there was no reasonable action available to the officers to prevent the fall.
IPCA: 24-21571