Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Arrest Of Man In Palmerston North Not Justified

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that the arrest of a man for disorderly behaviour in Palmerston was not justified, and the man should not have been given a formal warning. The Authority also found that the way in which the officers dealt with the incident was unprofessional.

At about 3 am on 26 September 2020, two officers drove past a man and his friend who were crossing a road intersection in Palmerston North. The men did not cross at a pedestrian crossing and were standing in the middle of the road. One of the officers told the men to get off the roadway and the men yelled abuse at the officers as they drove past them.

The officers turned their car around and stopped next to the men, who were now standing on the opposite footpath. Two nearby, independent witnesses saw the officers get out of their car and aggressively confront the men. One of the witnesses complained to the Authority.

The interaction escalated and an officer warned one of the men that he would be arrested for disorderly behaviour if he continued behaving in that way. The man continued the abuse and was arrested for disorderly behaviour. The man was later released on a formal warning for the offence.

The Authority does not think the man’s behaviour amounted to disorderly behaviour as, in the context of the situation, it did not risk upsetting the public order, nor did it risk provoking a violent response from the public.

A parallel Police investigation found that the attitude and manner in which the officers approached the situation was a significant factor in causing it to escalate. The investigation also found that the interaction could have been better managed by the officers.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Subsequent to the Authority’s investigation, Police accepted that the arrest of the man was not justified. Police have apologised to the man and removed the formal warning from their database.

Authority Chair, Judge Colin Doherty said, “On the evidence available to him, we do not think the officer had ‘good cause to suspect’ the man committed the offence of disorderly behaviour (under either section 3 or section 4 of the Summary Offences Act) … We believe the officers should have made relevant inquiries to satisfy themselves that the man’s behaviour upset the public order or was likely to provoke a violent reaction. They did not.”

https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/2111/30_NOVMEBER_2021_IPCA_PUBLIC_REPORT__Arrest_of_a_man_in_Palmerston_North_not_justified.pdf

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.