Police acknowledge the findings by the Independent Police Conduct Authority which found that an officer breached policy while searching for a car in Auckland’s Central Business District that had been involved in a pursuit.
At around 1.40am on Tuesday 19 December 2017 a short pursuit had taken place on Great North Road of a Subaru which failed to stop for Police.
The pursuit was abandoned near the Waterview tunnel. The vehicle was then spotted heading back into the central city.
An officer who was at Auckland Central Police Station wanted to assist their colleagues in locating this driver who was driving recklessly and at times on the wrong side of the road.
In doing so, the officer briefly drove the wrong way on Hobson Street while leaving the station to try to get to Cook Street as quickly as possible.
The wanted vehicle has turned onto Hobson Street, going through a red light and collided with the Police vehicle.
Both vehicles were damaged but thankfully no one was injured.
The offending driver was subsequently charged with failing to stop and reckless driving in relation to the pursuit and convicted and sentenced to two months imprisonment and disqualified from driving for six months.
Auckland City District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus acknowledges that the officer breached Police policy:
“While the officer had really good intentions to help stop a driver who was putting other people at risk, he should not have briefly driven the wrong way down Hobson Street.
“Police discussed this with the officer involved at the time and the findings from the IPCA have been relayed to him.”
ENDS
Shelley Nahr/NZ Police