Taser Trial Update #6 -10 APRIL 2007

New Zealand Police National News Release

13 April 2007

In the period since the trial began on 1 September 2006 to 10 April 2007 there have been a total of 85 incidents involving the taser. The taser was discharged on 13 occasions. Since the last update - 15 January 07 - there have been 42 incidents where the taser has been involved.

Tuesday 2 January - A patient in a Lower Hutt hospital was ripping doors off their hinges and breaking glass. Hospital staff immediately called for assistance as the man was considered dangerous after threatening to kill nursing staff. Police officers managed to subdue the man after being laser painted and talked into custody in just over 20 minutes.

Monday 8 January - Police were called to a fight in Waitakere involving four men where a sword or metal baton was present. One of the males broke into a house and refused to come out. Police entered the house and found the man under a bed. He was warned and laser painted before agreeing to come out. A Samurai sword was a found under the bed where he had been hiding.

Monday 15 January - Police were called to an East Auckland house where a man was threatening to kill himself after a domestic incident. He had barricaded himself into the house. It was not known if there was a partner or children were in the home. The man was in an extremely agitated state. The AOS was called. An hour later the man came out of the house carrying an unidentified object. He was laser painted while being warned to drop the object. This he did and co-operated with police.

Monday 16 January - In Waitakere a man was seen dragging his wife into a house at knifepoint threatening to kill her and the children. On arrival, police enter the house to find only the man inside. It was not known where the knife was so police laser painted the man and directed him to come downstairs. Restraint holds were used to handcuff the man as he became passive resistant.

Wednesday 17 January - At an AOS operation in Wellington involving an offender who had a warrant for his arrest a pit bull rushed at police and a police dog. As the offender would not control the dog OC spray was deployed but proved ineffective so a taser was discharged at the dog. The dog retreated. There was no injury to the dog.

Thursday 18 January - Police were called to an incident in Manurewa where a man was attempting to stab his partner with a butcher's knife. The family decided to take refuge in a van. The man was attempting to enter the van when police arrived. As the man would not drop the knife when called upon to do so, was laser painted. He dropped the knife and allowed himself to be searched and handcuffed.

Thursday 25 January - A call to a domestic dispute in Wellington where it was believed a knife was used. Officers deholstered the taser as they arrived to find the man in an angry and agitated state. Police spoke to him and he calmed down. The taser was placed back in its holster without being used.

Friday 26 January - Police attended a domestic dispute between two women in Papatoetoe. The father of one of the women being taken from the address intervenes and obstructs police and advances aggressively while threatening police and would not stop. He was laser painted and on being shown the laser red dot, he stopped moving forward. He calmed down after talking to police.

Friday 26 January - In North Shore a man refused to be handcuffed, became verbally abusive and threatening that he would put up a fight to resist arrest. The man had a history of violence against police. The taser was presented and he was warned to co-operate. After further refusing to co-operate he was laser painted and complied.

Saturday 27 January - Police attended a scene in Papatoetoe where it was believed man had been stabbed in the neck and that the knife was in the offenders possession. The individual concerned refused to show his hands and was laser painted. He then complied with police instructions.

Saturday 27 January - Wairarapa police were called to a suspected suicide attempt where the man involved had a firearm. The man resisted and would not reveal the whereabouts of the firearm. After being warned he was laser painted and a loaded rifle was seized from the man.

Monday 29 January - A man enters a stranger's house in Papatoetoe and stabs him in the chest before leaving. The sole officer attending the incident locates the man walking down the road in traffic. This resulted in s stop-start foot chase where OC spray was used but without effect. The officer then discharged the taser which immobilized the man to prevent him escaping and running back into the traffic.

Tuesday 30 January - A man affected by alcohol was apprehended in North Shore. While the attending officer was calling for back up, the man ran away. He was eventually found hiding on a property. When he would not co-operate to being handcuffed he was warned and then the officer arced the taser. The man complied with the officer's instructions.

Thursday 1 February - Police were called to a house in Wellington where a man said he wanted to be arrested after threatening to harm himself. When officers arrived he talked about being angry and wanting to hurt someone. There was a knife inside the house. After being warned and then laser painted, he came out of the house willingly.

Saturday 3 February - A Otara man in possession of knives, screwdriver and a file was threatening violent action against a victim, compliant and others. He had been violent prior to the taser being deployed. He was laser painted to ensure safe handcuffing prior to a search and removal of weapons.

Tuesday 6 February - Wellington police were called to a report of a man behaving irrationally and in a bizarre manner. He was asked to open the door but refused and continued bashing a pole against a glass door. The taser was deholstered as precaution. A locksmith was called to open the door. After some time talking with police the man agreed to put down the pole allowing police to use shields and restraint holds to secure and handcuff the man. The taser was holstered. He was committed to hospital after an assessment.

Tuesday 6 February - Police were advised an offender was threatening assault with a firearm in a domestic dispute in Wellington. The taser was deholstered on arrival at the address. The man acceded to police instructions and a.22 calibre rifle was found at the house along with a pistol with silencer.

Tuesday 6 February - A woman known to carry knives was behaving in a bizarre manner at an address in Wellington. The taser was deholstered on entering the building. The woman was restrained and handcuffed without further use of the taser.

Thursday 8 February - A domestic dispute in West Auckland involving a man with a history of violence and the possibility of the presence of weapon required police to deploy the taser. Police were not able to get a clear view of the man and whether he had a weapon in his hand. After a warning he was laser painted and co-operated with police.

Saturday 17 February - A man was smashing vehicle windows and threatening people and Police in Papatoetoe. Police were unable to get him to calm down. As he refused all other approaches and inducements to calm down he was laser painted. He then calmed down sufficiently to be arrested.

Sunday 18 February - A Lower Hutt man had stabbed his three children and was threatening to harm others when police arrived. The man still had the knife in his hand and was considering harming himself. After warnings, including arcing of the taser, it was discharged to prevent further injury to the children and possible injury to police officers.

Tuesday 20 February - Police were called to a reported robbery at knife point in West Auckland. When approached by Police to produce the knife the man made a move to his pocket where the knife was visible to Police. After repeated requests to raise his hands were refused, the taser was presented, along with firearms support and warnings by armed police. The man then complied with police requests.

Friday 23 February - Police were called to an incident in Manurewa where a man was threatening to commit suicide with a knife. After some time he becomes unresponsive to the Police negotiation team and withdrawn. About an hour after Police arrival the taser is discharged to prevent the man from stabbing himself with the knife. It required two applications of the taser to remove the knife and restrain the man.

Friday 2 March - A man wielding a machete in a Central Auckland road rage incident left the scene in a vehicle. Police believed the man may be armed and aggressive. When police located the vehicle the man immediately got out of the vehicle and refused to comply with the sole Police officer's instructions to drop to the ground. He was laser painted and became cooperative.

Sunday 4 March - Police received reports of a man threatening a woman with a knife at a Central Auckland address. On arrival, the house was in darkness and appeared to be unoccupied. The woman was not found. However the man was discovered in the house covered with a blanket and unresponsive to Police appeals. He was believed to have a concealed weapon. He was warned and laser painted.

Tuesday 6 March - A man was seen fighting and breaking windows in a Wellington street. The Police had been advised that the man was carrying a knife. The man had left the scene earlier but returned because of an earlier violent incident. The man had a history of violence so the taser was deployed. The officer confronted the man alone before the second unit had arrived. The man was warned and laser painted.

Friday 9 March - The Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) was called to a house in Kapiti north of Wellington where a man was threatening to shoot anyone including police. It was believed there was a firearm at the address. The man was engaged by police outside the house. After warnings he was laser painted and complied with police instructions.

Monday 12 March - Police were called to domestic dispute in Porirua. The man involved was known to police as being violent. He had left the property by the time Police arrived. The man's partner told police he was very angry and had breached a protection order. The man was located driving his car. He initially failed to stop when requested. When he did stop he was warned and laser painted and told to display his hands to show he was not armed. He complied, the taser was holstered. However, the man continued to refuse to listen to police so was OC sprayed to enable Police to restrain him.

Wednesday 14 March - Police were conducting an AOS search in an inner Wellington city premises where a man was instructed to come to a position where he could be taken into custody. He refused, was given further warnings and then laser painted. On further directions from Police he complied.

Tuesday 20 March - Police Communications Centre receives a call from a woman in Wellington reporting that a man is beating at her door, trying to smash his way in. Prior to arrival Police were advised the man had gained entry to the house and was threatening to kill the woman and other occupants. The phone was hung up. The man was seen leaving the house as police arrived. He was warned of police presence and to stop where he was. He ignores the warning and continues to advance on the officers. The taser is presented and the man warned and lasr painted. On seeing the red dot on his chest he continues to approach, hurling expletives. The taser operator is walking backwards down a steep incline. The man is tasered and is secured but still very aggressive and threatens to kill someone if the handcuffs are removed.

Tuesday 20 March - Police were called to assist with a woman who was acting in a bizarre and irrational manner in Auckland. She was known to be very anti-police and would not respond to verbal communication approaches. The woman had locked herself into the bathroom and had access to glass, chemical sprays and razors. Due to the possibility of injury both to the woman and those trying to assist with restraining her, it was decided the taser was the safest means to resolving the incident. The taser was discharged. There were no injuries and the woman was secured safely.

Thursday 22 March - Police received multiple calls from the public about a fight in a Henderson street. An attending officer intervened and approached a man who was wielding weapon in the fight. The man shoved the officer away. The officer decided to arrest the man and a violent struggle ensured with both falling to the ground. Another officer arrived to assist in the arrest but they were not able to bring the man under control. Due to the potential for the man's associates to enter the incident, thereby out-numbering police, and the fact that one of them was advancing on the police, the decision was made to deploy the taser in a drive stun mode directly to the man's leg. He immediately became cooperative. He was examined by a doctor and suffered no after effects. The man is facing a number of charges in relation to the incident.

Friday 30 March - Police were informed a Lower Hutt man had presented a pistol and issued threats before physically assaulting the victim. The AOS were deployed and negotiators made contact with the man by phone. He was belligerent but came out of the address after some time. He was openly aggressive towards the armed AOS officers. It was not known if he was still in possession of the pistol. The Taser was presented. The man was laser painted after being warned and given instructions. He complied with the police.

Saturday 31 March - Police were called to a domestic related dispute in Petone where a man, armed with a knife, had already used it on another man. There were other adults and children inside the house. Police planned to deploy the taser and firearms as the offender had already used the knife and was possibly still in possession of it.

Police forcibly entered the house with a taser and two officers armed with Glock pistols. An appeal to the man did not work and the man was seen coming out of a bed room holding a young child. It was not known at this point if this was a possible kidnap/hostage situation. Police demanded the man place the child on the ground. He was laser painted and complied with police instructions. He placed the child on the floor and complied by kneeling on the floor where he was handcuffed and arrested.

Thursday 5 April - Police were informed by several members of the public in Lower Hutt that several Mongrel Mob gang members were acting aggressively in the street. Officers attended immediately where they witnessed a man punch another unrelated man in the head, knocking him to the ground. The gang member saw police and got into a vehicle and started to drive away. The vehicle was stopped and five people got out. They were all gang members. The offender was arrested and handcuffed. Another gang member approached the officers yelling and swearing abuse. A second officer intervened warning the man, who was clearly angry and had taken up a fighting stance. The officer radioed for assistance and drew the taser and laser painted the man. The man backed away, got into the car, wound the window down and continued to yell abuse. The taser was secured.

Monday 9 April - An intoxicated man, wielding an axe and acting in a very aggressive and threatening manner, was seen walking out onto a road in North Shore. As police approached the address the man walked back into his property. Then returned and walked down the road towards police. He became aggressive and verbally abusive. He would not take heed of voice commands after being laser painted and told to get down on the ground. He was unwilling to co-operate. It became apparent the man was no longer holding the axe so the taser was withdrawn and held covertly (out of sight of the man). OC spray was used and the man was restrained by two other police officers. An axe was located underneath a vehicle parked at the front of the property.

ENDS

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