Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police acknowledge the findings by the Independent Policy Conduct Authority in relation to the death of an Auckland man in June 2021.
The 43-year-old man was admitted into Auckland Hospital on 11 June with abdominal pain and shortness of breath. Hospital staff located a concealed package in his clothing and alerted Police who attended and found it contained over 24 grams of methamphetamine.
The following day medical staff discharged the man into police custody, and he was taken to the Auckland Custody Unit until his appearance in Court the following day on a charge of possessing methamphetamine.
He was arrested by Police that evening and CCTV shows the man is walking unaided, compliant and co-operative. In the custody unit he was talking with officers and placed into a cell at about 6:30pm and put on 2-hourly checks.
Police staff had an overview of why he had been in hospital and that he was likely under the influence of illegal substances. However, they believed his health was in a stable condition given he had just been discharged by a medical professional into Police custody.
Officers checked on the man through the night and spoke with him just before 9pm. Shortly after midnight, they found the man unresponsive. An ambulance was called and police staff commenced CPR. He was taken to Auckland Hospital where he died a short time a later.
The IPCA found Police officers should have conducted more frequent checks on the man, recognised he was deteriorating and provided quicker medical assistance when they realised he was unresponsive.
They do note that expert medical opinion indicates the man’s death may have been unavoidable, regardless of where he was.
WorkSafe filed a charge against New Zealand Police relating to this death but withdrew it in August of last year.
Relieving Auckland City District Commander Inspector Grae Anderson says Police are responsible for more than 120,000 people who come in our custody units across New Zealand each year in an often challenging and complex environment:
“Police have a duty of care to those who come into our custody, and we acknowledge there were learnings from this incident.
“As a direct result of what occurred, police have updated training to staff, and now ensure that we give stronger weighting to recent hospital admissions when assessing the level of care required for a detainee in similar circumstances.”
Police remain committed to continuous improvement in our custody units and have implemented a raft of significant changes over the last few years.
“Including the creation of a National Custody Team (NCT) which provides national oversight of the policy, practice, and training for all Police staff,” says Inspector Anderson.
“Police continues to work with all relevant stakeholders including WorkSafe, and the IPCA to look for opportunities to constantly improve our approach to the custody of people detained by Police.”
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
