NZ Police has acknowledged the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s (IPCA) finding that the use of a Police dog to arrest a youth in Hamilton last year was justified.
The dog was used during the arrest of a 15-year-old following a vehicle pursuit on 6 June 2022.
Earlier calls to Police reported that a person in the driver’s seat of a station wagon had fired a handgun out the window.
“The driver of this vehicle was later seen driving at high speeds, and refused to stop for Police,” said Hamilton City Area Commander, Inspector Will Loughrin.
“Road spikes were successfully deployed, before the vehicle came to a stop and five occupants fled on foot.”
Commander Loughrin says the Police dog handler gave the youth clear warning that if they did not comply, he would release the dog.
“They did not, and the Police dog bit the male on the arm. He was taken to hospital for treatment.”
“Our staff members made the right tactical decisions in order to bring this incident to a conclusion.
“There were several elements of risk here, including a firearm and a high-speed fleeing driver event, and appropriate procedure was followed to mitigate those risks, keeping the public and our staff safe,” he said.
