• Source: 1 NEWS
A police officer s technique in taking down a 14-year-old boy resisting arrest in Wellington last year was not appropriate, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found. Source: istock.com
On September 4 last year, the boy was arrested for disorderly behaviour outside a local bar in Tawa, Wellington.
When the teenager resisted an officer s attempt to put him in the patrol car, a police dog handler used force to restrain him.
However, the boy claimed the officer used excessive force by throwing him headfirst towards the ground, resulting in an injury to his face and knee. He also claimed the officer used inappropriate language by swearing at him.
The officers ascertained the car had been stolen and Mr Z had a disqualified licence. An officer, named officer B in the report, arrested Mr Z, who then didn’t comply with instructions and broke free once handcuffed. Another officer, named as officer A, stepped in and guided Mr Z towards the police car, but Mr Z began to physically pull away and was taken to the ground by officer A. In a complaint made a day after the incident, Mr Z alleged officer A punched him in the face twice and threw him to the ground. However, video footage of the incident, filmed by a witness, showed this didn’t happen.