The police officer is still employed by NZ Police.
- A police officer was charged with assault after punching two teenagers in the head.
- The incident happened in May 2022, and followed a “lengthy pursuit” along State Highway 1.
- While the officer pleaded guilty to the assaults, he was discharged without conviction and is still a serving member of the police force.
An Auckland police officer was charged with two counts of common assault after punching two teenagers in the head - but is still employed by the police force.
On May 7, 2022, police stopped a fleeing driver on State Highway 1 north of Auckland after a “lengthy pursuit”, a summary of the incident by the Independent Police Conduct Authority said.
The teens got out of the vehicle and were lying on the median area with their hands either behind their back or out beside them, when a police officer punched two of them in the head, the IPCA said.
The incident was captured on footage taken form the police Eagle helicopter, and showed that neither young person was resisting arrest when the officer punched them in the face.
Police conducted a criminal investigation and found that the officer’s use of force was unjustified, and the officer was charged with two counts of common assault.
While the officer pleaded guilty, he received a discharged without conviction.
Police also carried out an employment process that found the officer’s actions had breached police’s code of conduct.
But, according to Acting Waitematā District Commander, Inspector Stefan Sagar, the officer is still a serving member of the police force.
The officer was subject to an “employment outcome” that Sagar wouldn’t comment on for “privacy reasons”.
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