Arrested man claims police beat him, then released him to walk 20km back to Napier; police say he assaulted an officer

John Heremaia alleges he was beaten by Hawke's Bay police while being arrested.

An arrested man claims he was beaten while in a police car to the Hastings cell and then had to walk 20km back to Napier with his injuries.

But Hawke’s Bay police say 49-year-old John Heremaia “actively and violently” resisted arrest before and during the journey in the police car.

He has since been charged with resisting and assaulting police, as well as disorderly behaviour.

Heremaia’s family are upset at his treatment and have laid a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority, which says it is assessing it.

Heremaia, from Invercargill, was in Napier with his family, visiting his mother, who has terminal bile duct cancer.

His cousin Cherie Scott, who is his mother’s carer, picked him up from Hawke’s Bay Airport on Saturday, May 10.

On Saturday, May 17, Heremaia told her that he was in Clive Square when police approached him.

Scott said Heremaia was drunk and probably “a bit disorderly” but, when police arrested him, they put his handcuffs on too tightly.

She claimed officers then proceeded to assault him in the back of the police car on the journey to Hastings, while he was still cuffed.

There are no cells at the Napier police station, which is a few hundred metres from Clive Square.

Selfie video taken by Heremaia on the day of his arrest shows him with significant swelling on his face and a cut above his eye.

Scott said he had also suffered a concussion and cuts to his wrists.

“He said he couldn’t fight back and there was nothing he could do but accept the beating.”

John Heremaia says he received his injuries while in the custody of police in Hawke's Bay.

After being released from the Hastings police station, Heremaia then felt he had no choice but to walk back to Napier, a 20km journey, with his injuries.

Scott said she would have picked him up if she had known where he was.

She said Heremaia’s mother broke down when she heard the news and saw the pictures of her son.

“She’s dying, she doesn’t need to see her children like that.

“They’re the New Zealand Police. They’re supposed to be members of the community that we look up to. How do I tell my granddaughter that these are the people to trust and look up to?”

In a statement to Hawke’s Bay Today, police said a 49-year-old was arrested near Clive Square in Napier on May 17 after he was verbally abusive and aggressive to a member of the public and to the police officer who tried to speak to him about his behaviour.

After being arrested for disorderly behaviour, the man “actively and violently resisted arrest”.

“He continued to struggle while being placed into the police car and while being transported to the police station - a short journey that had to be undertaken under red and blue flashing lights due to his continued violent behaviour.”

Police could not say whether Heremaia was offered a ride home or not.

“The duty of care by police for someone taken into custody typically ends when they are released.

“While in custody, police will endeavour to help them find transport home if required.”

Heremaia was charged with disorderly behaviour, resisting police and assaulting police. He appeared in Napier District Court on Thursday. His next appearance is due on June 12.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier.