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A family is calling for a police officer to be suspended after he was caught on video threatening to dog someone trapped on a roof.
But police, who referred the incident to the independent watchdog, say there is no evidence to support a claim that the officer at some point assaulted one of the people on the roof.
Renowned jail lawyer Arthur Taylor filed a complaint Wednesday with the Independent Police Conduct Authority on behalf of a family about the Palmerston North incident.
The authority said it also had a police referral, which was made at 3.25pm Tuesday, about the incident.
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Things
Still from video showing a Palmerston North police officer threatening to leave his dog on a teenager hiding in a cavity in the ceiling. Police say they are reviewing the images.
A video of the incident shows an officer who Things It is not naming, trying to get people out of a cavity in the ceiling. He asks if they will come down “or will I throw my dog away.”
He then proceeds to insult people, one of whom is a teenager, Taylor says, before swinging his baton, which connects with an object.
The officer continues to curse them before making an apparent verbal threat that is not clearly audible on the video.
Taylor said the family involved him because they feared for his safety.
Stacy Squires / Stuff
Arthur Taylor says a family is scared after a police officer threatened a teenager who was hiding on the roof.
They also allege that the officer assaulted the teenager, but that was not caught on video, Taylor said.
The officer’s actions were a clear violation of the police code of conduct and could be a violation of the Rights Act, because the teenager could be classified as a detainee, Taylor said.
The law requires that detainees be treated with “dignity and respect for their humanity.”
“[The officer] he is not a newbie. He’s been a cop for a long time. I should know the rules, ”Taylor said.
“Good cops don’t want people like that in their ranks.
“It’s supposed to be ‘protect and serve.’
“It’s lucky someone managed to get this video.”
Things He asked the police for an interview, but was instead provided with a statement attributed to district commander Chris de Wattignar.
He said there was no evidence to show that the police assaulted a person on the roof.
The video, which De Wattignar described as “involving a police officer using explicit language,” was being reviewed to see if action was necessary.
Officers were trying to find people with arrest warrants and they learned that someone was on the roof.
One of those people threatened to stab an officer and his dog, de Wattignar said.
A man fought with police after coming down from the roof.
Two men appeared in Juvenile Court Tuesday in connection with the incident.
One was charged with illegally taking a motor vehicle and the other with breaking bail and resisting the police.
The authority said another member of the public had complained about the incident.
I would conduct an investigation.
