The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found police unlawfully arrested a man in Rotorua after officers put him in a headlock.
The man was arrested on November 18, 2019, for disorderly behaviour after he became abusive towards police after they stopped him for riding a bike without a helmet.
The main resisted the arrest and one of the officers put him in a headlock to restrain him.
The authority said it found the man's behaviour to be a direct response to police stopping to talk to him and the force used by officers was "unlawful" and "excessive".
"The actions of the officers were not only unlawful but undesirable and counterproductive to the Commissioners intent of 'Policing by consent' and 'to have the trust and confidence of all'," Authority chair Judge Colin Doherty said in a statement.
The authority said the facts and circumstances did not give sufficient grounds for the police to suspect the offence of disorderly behaviour had been committed.
The IPCA said unnecessary pressure was also applied to the handcuffs while they were on the man which caused him injury.
NZ Police said the staff involved were spoken to after the arrest.
