Police used excessive force while arresting a homeless woman in Tauranga with mental health issues last year, with one officer punching her and another possibly fracturing her wrist, the police watchdog has found.
The woman, who was referred to as Ms X in the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report, was arrested for fighting with a man on June 21.
The IPCA report said she was placed in the back of a patrol car where she struggled with officers, one of whom punched her in the cheek after she had attempted to bite him.
Police then used a spit hood to restrain her, an act which was deemed justifiable in the IPCA report.
After arriving at the custody unit, the officers failed to check alerts about Ms X and therefore did not consider her history of self-harm.
With no plan in place to keep her safe, the woman twice attempted to strangle herself, once with the spit hood and once with a sweatshirt.
The woman was then placed in a restraint chair without pants on, with the IPCA report saying she should have been put in a tear-resistant gown.
The woman was taken to hospital where she was found to have a fractured wrist, however the IPCA report was unable to determine the cause of this injury.
They said it was “possibly the result of an officer using a wrist lock,” which “is a technique where someone takes hold of another person’s hand and twists or bends it in a non-natural direction”.
“If applied suddenly and/or forcefully, a wristlock can cause ligament tears or possibly even dislocation or bone fractures,” the report said.
In a statement police say they acknowledge and accept the findings of the IPCA report.
“Police acknowledge that we should have done more to ensure that the necessary checks and assessment took place when Ms X was taken into custody,” says Superintendent Andy McGregor, Bay of Plenty District Commander.
“This would have alerted officers to Ms X’s history and ensured an appropriate plan was able to be put in place to keep Ms X safe during her time in police custody, likely removing the need to use force to prevent Ms X from self-harming.”
“Police are committed to providing the highest level of care to people in our custody but in this instance we did not meet the standard required,” says Superintendent McGregor.
“The issues highlighted in the report have been raised with the staff involved and the need to adhere to policies in place has been reinforced.”
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