Police's use of a Taser on a mentally unwell man was unjustified, excessive and contrary to policy, according to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).
The man was Tasered twice after refusing to remove his clothing while in police custody. The man told the authority he refused to do so because he had been sexually abused as a child and did not like being touched by other men.
Speaking to Newshub, the man said he hopes no one else has to endure what he went through.
It's an incident the Mental Health Foundation is calling "deeply concerning."
The man was holding a large kitchen knife and threatening to commit suicide when his family called police in April 2016.
- If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs immediate help, call Lifeline on 0800 543 354 or the Suicide Prevention Helpline on 0508 828 865.
He was arrested for possessing an offensive weapon and taken to Counties Manukau Police Station, where he was Tasered twice.
Police say they Tasered him after he resisted attempts to remove his clothing "to ensure he was not carrying a weapon that he could use to harm himself or others."
The IPCA report found the man was being held down by two officers and was therefore "not being assaultive at the time he was Tasered."
In a statement sent to media, police said they "accept the incident could have been handled differently for a better result for all involved".
On the morning of the Tasering, a cousin of the man called police, saying he was attempting to harm himself with a small pocketknife. Mental Health Services took the man away for assessment.
The man told Newshub that the incident should have been dealt with at that point.
Instead, he later went to his mother's house, where a relative called police at 10:50pm.
The man was arrested and taken to the police station, where one of the officers told the IPCA he spent 10 minutes explaining to the man he would need to change into a tear-resistant gown for his own safety.
The man at the centre of the inquiry, who is referred to as Mr X in the report, told the IPCA he refuse to remove his clothing because he had been sexually abused as a child.
"Mr X said that the officers were aware of this fact, as he said he had told them when he had been escorted to the police station earlier that evening," the report reads.
The police officers told the IPCA as soon as they touched the man, "he immediately began to resist them by throwing his arms about".
A third officer then entered the cubicle. He told the IPCA Mr X tried to take his Taser from holster. The officer then pulled the man to the ground.
When the officer got to his feet again, he said he pulled out his Taser and fired twice. The man did not appear to respond to the probes, so the officer increased the voltage.
The officer said "this had an immediate effect on Mr X's behaviour as he then complied with all police instructions".
An officer who witnessed the events from a desk outside told the IPCA he was surprised to see a Taser used.
The IPCA concluded the officer's use of a Taser was "contrary to policy and unjustified", and said the Tasered man received appropriate medical care.
The Mental Health Foundation expressed serious concern about the use of Tasers against people experiencing mental distress, saying people in a "suicidal crisis" shouldn't be arrested in the first place.
Chief executive Shaun Robinson told Newshub Taser use should be an "absolute last resort" after de-escalation techniques have been tried.
Mr Robinson said "more work is needed" in offering police training around stigma and discrimination.
"People in suicidal distress should always be treated with compassion and support. Experiencing a suicidal crisis can be incredibly frightening and traumatising. We must do better in our response to people in distress and provide training to all frontline services," Mr Robinson said.
"The use of a Taser against an individual who posed absolutely no threat to the officer is deeply concerning, and, as the IPCA found, excessive and unjustified."
The man at the centre of the inquiry also told Newshub there "needs to be more training in mental health."
In a press release, Counties Manukau Police Operations and Support Manager, Acting Superintendent Tracy Phillips said: "The man's behaviour was unpredictable throughout the course of the day, and it is always a challenge to deal with people suffering from health issues when [police] don't have all of the information."
Newshub.
