Traffic camera catches police officer hitting young person with hand, fist, knee

A police officer who was caught by a traffic camera striking a young person “several times” with his hand, fist and knee in the Bay of Plenty was only sanctioned after the police watchdog got involved.

The incident occurred early in the morning of December 18, 2021, when police were searching for five young people suspected of ramraiding a local shop, according to a recently released decision by the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

The young people had abandoned their car and fled, with police pursing on foot and by car.

When the officer found one of the suspects he “took him to the ground by force” to arrest him and “struck the youth several times with his hand, fist and knee”, the IPCA said.

The officer then walked over to a second suspect, who was being held face-down on the ground by another officer, and struck him “at least twice with an open hand”.

Neither young person was resisting arrest at the time they were struck, the decision said.

The officer’s actions were recorded on a traffic camera nearby, and he was subsequently charged – but only after the police watchdog disagreed with police’s initial decision that the use of force was justified.

However, the charges were later withdrawn on the advice of the Crown Solicitor.

Police then decided that the officer shouldn’t face an employment process – but again the IPCA “raised concerns” with police once they became aware of this decision.

“Police pre-emptively excused the actions of an officer which, at the very least, reached the threshold for justifying an employment investigation.

“The Authority is strongly critical of the decision,” the IPCA said.

Chair of the IPCA Judge Kenneth Johnston wrote to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to express his “concern” about police’s handling of the case.

“Despite what appears to be clear evidence of misconduct, if not serious misconduct, by an officer, and despite an internal recommendation to initiate an employment investigation, police have pre-emptively exonerated [the officer].

“It must be beyond argument that police should be held to the same standard of behaviour as the public and, in our assessment, the public would be unlikely to accept that this has happened here,” Johnston said.

When approached by Stuff about the IPCA’s ruling, Bay of Plenty District Commander, Superintendent Tim Anderson said police “acknowledge and accept the IPCA’s findings in relation to this incident”.

“The officer in question is no longer employed by police,” Anderson said.