A Christchurch police officer involved in a fatal car chase was unjustified in his actions and his behaviour bordered on misconduct, an inquiry has found.
Rangi Wano, 16, was killed when the car in which he was an unrestrained back seat passenger collided with another car near the Eastgate ShoppingCentre in September 2005.
Police had been looking for Wano after he ran away from a Child Youth and Family home. He was spotted leaving a house in the back seat of a white Pontiac and officers in an unmarked police car switched on their lights and siren to pull the car over.
The driver, Wayne Darius Silbery, 17, obeyed but when an officer approached the vehicle it sped away. The second officer gave chase, leaving the first behind.
During an inquest last year the officer who investigated the chase said it was "unwise" to have begun a chase while alone in an unmarked car.
The Pontiac ran a red light at the intersection of Woodham Road and Gloucester Street at about 100km/h, drove on the wrong side of the road, skidded, drove on the footpath then headed toward a more congested area of town. After crossing a median strip and hitting a light pole the Pontiac collided with another car head-on.
Silbery admitted a charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority's findings today said the pursuing officer had not kept sufficient contact with police communications (SouthComms) who were required to advise during pursuits.
The SouthComms controller said if he had been aware of all the dangerous driving going on he would have called off the chase.
Authority chair Justice Lowell Goddard said the driving grew more dangerous as the pursuit continued and the officer should have considered whether the seriousness of Wano's offending - absconding from a CYF home -- justified the risks being taken.
Justice Goddard said the officer's driving did not follow police policy.
"(His) actions were undesirable, unjustified and bordering on misconduct. I note that he was required to undergo driver retraining."
