Police pepper spray six-year-old boy wielding steak knife

There were seven cases of officers using pepper spray on children between July 2010 and the end of last year. Photo / File

A 6-year-old boy wielding a steak knife and threatening to kill his mother was pepper-sprayed by police.

The incident happened in June and was revealed by Radio New Zealand today.

It was one of seven cases of officers pepper-spraying children, aged 9 to 12, between July 2010 and the end of last year.

In that period police used pepper spray 7358 times.

The police withheld details about where and when each spraying happened, but Radio NZ reported the 6-year-old was sprayed in June.

The child was holding the knife in a threatening manner and after being told he could be sprayed and it would hurt, the child shook his head.

He was then sprayed and disarmed.

"On this particular occasion, it was clear to the officer that the child was essentially - given the child's agitated state - beyond reasoning with," Superintendent Chris Scahill told Radio NZ.

He stood by all officers who used pepper spay on children in the period covered by the figures.

Other children pepper-sprayed included a 12-year-old who was drunk and aggressive and threatening others with a knife, and a drunk 12-year-old who assaulted an officer and another child.