Cop who sped wrong way on road 'dangerous' and unlawful - IPCA

The actions of a police officer who drove at speed on the wrong side of the road were "dangerous, unnecessary and contrary to law". File photo / NZ Herald

The actions of a police officer who drove at speed on the wrong side of the road were "dangerous, unnecessary and contrary to law", the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found.

A report released from the authority today found police were justified in beginning the pursuit of a stolen vehicle in Auckland in April 2013.

However, authority chairman Judge Sir David Carruthers said the manner in which it was conducted was ill-considered and breached police policy.

The pursuit followed a call to police reporting the theft of a Nissan Terrano four-wheel-drive vehicle from Silverdale.

The caller told police that the vehicle was believed to be heading towards the Northern Motorway.

Police in the area were advised and the Police Eagle helicopter was dispatched and soon located the vehicle.

As it approached the Northcote Road interchange one of the police vehicles following activated its lights and siren to signal the driver to stop. When the driver failed to do so the pursuit began, the report said.

Sir David said two aspects of the police pursuit were unjustified.

The first involved one of the six police vehicles involved in the pursuit pulling in front of the stolen vehicle and attempting to force it to stop.

In order to get ahead, the fleeing driver then pulled into the right-hand lane beside the police car and when he failed to get ahead he swerved back in behind the police car, clipping the rear right-hand side of the car as he did so, the report stated.

"In this instance the authority has found that the officer involved breached police policy by attempting to initiate a non-compliant vehicle stop," Sir David said.

"Attempting this manoeuvre placed police, the occupants of the 4x4, and other road users at unjustified risk."

Other motorists on the motorway were in close proximity at the time and the vehicles involved in the pursuit were travelling at speed, Sir David said.

The second unjustified aspect of the police pursuit occurred after the stolen vehicle had left the motorway and the 31-second pursuit had been called off, Sir David said.

Three police vehicles were continuing to search for the vehicle on Northcote Rd when a fourth police vehicle activated its lights and drove at speed towards the stolen vehicle, crossing onto the wrong side of the road heading towards Onewa Domain as it did so, the report said.

"The authority has found the actions of the fourth officer in driving at speed and on the wrong side of the road were dangerous, unnecessary and contrary to law," Sir David said.

When police arrived at Onewa Domain they found the vehicle abandoned down a long driveway. The two occupants were later apprehended in the bush, the report said.

The authority's work with police in revising pursuit policies was ongoing and was now well advanced, Sir David said.