Police dog justified in taking down criminal

An Upper Hutt police officer was justified in using his police dog to take down a suspected burglar in June, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found.

A report from the IPCA today said police were called to the Brown Owl shops in Akatarawa Rd, Upper Hutt, about 1.10am on June 5 following reports of an attempted burglary.

Soon after police arrived two people were seen running away from the shops, the report stated.

A police dog handler arrived at the scene and his dog quickly found a scent that led from behind the shops to Akatarawa Rd.

Following the scent, the dog began tracking the men and the officer found them on Akatarawa Rd and shouted at them to stop or he would release the dog.

Despite hearing the officer's command, the two men fled and ran down a driveway near the shops, the report said.

The officer released his dog, which caught one of the men. However, the officer remained at the top of the driveway to try to locate the second man.

The officer then entered the driveway and saw him standing against a fence with the police dog biting his leg.

However, as the officer moved to release the dog, he slipped and slid down a small bank which delayed him from reaching the dog.

The bitten man was taken to Lower Hutt police station where he was examined by a doctor then taken to Lower Hutt hospital where he remained for eight days.

IPCA chairman Judge Sir David Carruthers said that in conducting its investigation, the authority found there were reasonable grounds for the officer to suspect that the two men were responsible for the attempted burglary.

The authority also found that releasing the police dog to chase the offenders was the only realistic tactical option that would allow the officer to catch and arrest the suspected burglars.

Once the officer reached the offender, the dog was removed as soon as possible, Sir David said.

Following the incident, the offender who was bitten by the police dog complained to the authority that he was punched in the face five to six times by the officer before the police dog was removed from his leg.

However, the authority found no evidence to support his complaint, Sir David said.