Three police officers tasered the man, before he fell to the ground and knocked his head. File photo / Greg Bowker
A shirtless man, wielding a garden tool, chased a bloodied woman and her crying baby down a Wellington street and assaulted her before police tasered him, causing a fall that left him with a serious head injury.
He fell to the ground, knocked his head, and suffered a brain injury and memory loss. The police watchdog has found the three officers acted appropriately.
Police rushed to what was described as a family harm incident in Khandallah, Wellington, on January 9, an Independent Police Conduct Authority report (IPCA) states, after reports of a man with a knife threatening a woman holding a baby.
Members of the public called police to report the man, wearing only trousers, who they said threw the woman into the bus shelter on Cockayne Rd. The woman told the IPCA that during the incident, the man had grabbed her bag and used the strap to restrict her breathing.
She was reportedly bleeding and screaming as he was hacking at the wooden shelter with half of a hedge-trimming scissor.
When police arrived, the man was standing at a bus shelter, where the woman and baby were sitting, and he was holding the blade.
Police distracted him and the woman escaped from the bus shelter behind him, but when he noticed her running away, things escalated.
Amid the chaos, with the man shouting at police to “f*** off”, he began moving towards her.
In an effort to protect the woman, an officer shot their Taser at the man.
But that shot did not work properly, and he began ripping out the Taser cords.
He turned to face police, only 3-4 metres away, with the blade still in hand.
Two other officers at the scene both fired their Tasers at him.
His body went stiff, and he fell to the ground, hitting his head on the road, causing a brain injury.
He was treated at the scene and was later hospitalised, he cannot remember what happened that day.
Now, after speaking to those involved and watching a video of the bloody chaos, the IPCA has ruled that police were right to act in the way they did, given the circumstances.
Judge Kenneth Johnston KC, IPCA chair, found that the first officer to use their Taser was rightly defending the woman.
The two other officers who tased him next were protecting themselves and the other officers after the man turned towards them with the weapon.
Acting Wellington District Commander Inspector Nick Thom said police effectively stopped the dangerous situation from becoming much worse.
“Our officers have made good decisions and the IPCA investigation supports that.
“Police are often working in fast-paced, dynamic environments, and although it is the expectation, I am pleased with the decisions made by staff.”
How to get help:If you’re in danger now:
• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours or friends to ring for you.
• Run outside and head for where there are other people. Scream for help so your neighbours can hear you.
• Take the children with you. Don’t stop to get anything else.
• If you are being abused, remember it’s not your fault. Violence is never okay.
Where to go for help or more information:
•Women’s Refuge: Crisis line - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 (available 24/7)
•Shine: Helpline - 0508 744 633 (available 24/7)
•It’s Not Ok: Family violence information line - 0800 456 450
•Shakti: Specialist services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and children.
• Crisis line - 0800 742 584 (available 24/7)
•Ministry of Justice: For information on family violence
•Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services
•White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men’s violence towards women.
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