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Stacy Squires / Stuff
Police officers used “reasonable force” to immobilize a man who later lost consciousness at the Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct, according to a report.
Police officers have been cleared of wrongdoing after a man lost consciousness while being immobilized in Christchurch.
But they were criticized by the police guard dog for leaving him with dirty clothes in a dirty cell, who also said that his way of restraining him was “poorly executed”.
The anonymous man, who had a history of mental illness, substance abuse, violence and self-harm, was taken into custody at the Christchurch Justice and Emergency Services Precinct on November 24 last year, to appear in court the following day.
While in custody, he attempted to eat the lid of a food container and plastic utensils before defecating on his bed, then kicked an officer in the head the next morning, according to a report from the Independent Police Conduct Authority. (IPCA).
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When he was taken from his cell to be transported to the prison, the officers used a shield to immobilize him, carried him to the ground and restrained his waist.
Then the man lost consciousness.
Officers checked her neck pulse after noticing her face turned purple and they couldn’t find one, and she wasn’t breathing. The officers released him and took him out of the cell to give him first aid.
He regained consciousness before paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital. The exact cause for which he lost consciousness has not been determined, according to the report.
The authority considered that the use of the shield was reasonable, but the immobilization procedure was poorly executed.
It also found that the officers should not have left the man in dirty clothes and a dirty cell and should have removed the cutlery from the cell.
The lower part of his body was exposed while first aid was applied and officers should have made efforts to maintain his dignity, according to the report.
Corrections and police officers weren’t sure who was in charge when the man was removed from his cell and they didn’t have a clear understanding of who was responsible for a pretrial prisoner while in custody, he said.
Police accepted the report and acknowledged where things could have been handled better, Canterbury District Commander Superintendent John Price said.
“The use of force by the police in this case was considered reasonable and the officers involved provided medical attention to Mr. X as soon as they realized that he was unwell,” he said.
“We recognize that in this case the officers did not meet the high standards of care that we expect of them.
“We have reinforced the training in the custody department and will take the opportunity to learn from this incident and make sure it does not happen again.”
Corrections also recognized the IPCA report and recommended that prisoners be treated with dignity at all times and that any reports, reports and reviews should be completed immediately in cases of use of force, Chief Inspector Janis Adair said.
