Use of pepper spray, Taser and dog against man wanted for domestic violence was 'justified'

Police have changed some aspects of dog team training after Tasered man was bitten. Photo / File

Police officers have been cleared of wrongdoing after a man was bitten by a police dog after being pepper-sprayed and Tasered during a Christchurch domestic incident.

Police were called to a block of flats in the Christchurch suburb of Hei Hei at 7.45pm on March 6 last year to attend a domestic assault involving a man the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report referred to as Mr X.

Officers were advised that Mr X, who was known for resisting and assaulting police, had assaulted his partner and punched another person.

While arresting Mr X, officers used pepper spray, a police dog and a Taser on him.

Mr X later complained to the IPCA that that police had used excessive force and that, shortly after being Tasered, he was again pepper sprayed and bitten by the police dog.

But the IPCA found that the officers lawfully entered the address without a warrant, and that the man's arrest was justified.

It also concluded that the officers were justified in using pepper spray, the dog and the Taser.

It also found that the man was not pepper sprayed after he was Tasered, although Taser camera footage showed that he was bitten by the police dog after the Taser was used.

Because of the speed at which the situation had escalated, the police dog handler could not stop it, the IPCA said.

"This was a short-lived continuation of the melee, not a fresh and deliberate application of force after Mr X was incapacitated," said IPCA chair, Judge Colin Doherty.

"It was not best practice for the police dog to have been in a position to bite the man again immediately after he was Tasered.

"However, that bite was unintentional and the officer has since been retrained to prevent similar occurrences."

The IPCA also found that police provided the man with appropriate aftercare for the pepper spray and dog bites.

Police today said they have put training in place for the police dog team to avoid this happening again in the future.

"I commend the professionalism shown by the staff involved, in what was a difficult and unpredictable situation," said Canterbury District Commander, Superintendent John Price.

"They successfully protected themselves and the public from further harm with their use of appropriate force and a correct risk assessment of the situation."