Police react over use of dog attack footage

Police dog Tank appeared on Dog Squad and was later involved in an incident with an innocent man.

TVNZ has cut footage of a police dog that mauled an innocent man after police complained to a privately owned production company.

Businessman Hamish McCourtie spent three years seeking answers after the dog called Tank attacked him near his Parnell home in August 2010. McCourtie featured in TVNZ show Sunday two weeks ago.

Originally, the episode included footage of Tank and handler Justin Moore from a Greenstone TV reality show. Now, a blacked-out screen with the words "images removed for copyright" replaces that footage on an online version of the show.

TVNZ and Greenstone insist the issue is a footage rights botch-up. Yet no alarms were raised until a member of the police contacted Greenstone after the broadcast.

"I'm not sure whether it was the police or the officer concerned," Greenstone owner John Harris told the Herald on Sunday. "But we were contacted to let us know it happened. We were unhappy and we got hold of TVNZ, who've given us a fulsome apology."

Harris believed it was the first time in 20 years of Greenstone TV such a mix-up had occurred.

McCourtie was stunned to hear police contacted Greenstone. He said footage depicted the dogs in a positive context but juxtaposing it with his story was unpalatable to police.

McCourtie said before the broadcast, TVNZ assured him use of Dog Squad material was cleared. Yet he added: "Regardless of who the production company is ... the bottom line is an independent broadcast show, published nationally on a serious matter of police accountability, has been muzzled."

McCourtie said the TV clips mirrored the blacked-out, redacted documents he'd received from police during his quest. Moore and Tank were back on duty before an internal inquiry was completed.

Spokeswoman Megan Richards said TVNZ had no choice but to cut the footage which was provided to Sunday in good faith, but in error.

"The police are not exercising control of content available on TVNZ's website, and the reason for its removal is not to do with any police complaint," Richards said.

In March last year, TVNZ cut footage from Sunday and apologised to the Department of Corrections after the show flew convicted killer David Tamihere over a historic murder scene, in what was feared a breach of his parole conditions. A year later, Tamihere was found not guilty of breaching parole.

A police spokeswoman said guidelines for the use of reality TV footage had not been followed, and Greenstone had apologised.