No wider investigation on pepper spray - for now

Pepper spray, seen here being used by police in Canada, remains controversial. File picture / Reuters

Wider inquiries into police use of pepper spray should not happen until an investigation into an incident on Thursday night is complete, the Police Association says.

The police commissioner has ordered an inquiry after television footage appeared to show a police officer spraying a handcuffed man in the face.

The incident was shown happening outside the Fight for Life event in west Auckland while another officer stood by watching.

Green Party police spokesman Keith Locke said the inquiry should be much broader, saying figures suggested police were resorting to pepper spray too often.

However, Police Association president Greg O'Connor thought any such inquiries should wait. "We shouldn't get the two stories mixed up," he said.

"There needs to be an inquiry into the incident that has been made public. Then, if that shows there are issues, that would be the time that there should be any further inquiry."

Mr Locke said police figures showed that pepper spray had been used 2000 times during 2005.

"It is hard to imagine that there were 2000 occasions requiring such an excruciatingly painful and debilitating measure as pepper-spraying," Mr Locke said.

Police were to examine the video footage shot by a TV3 cameraman outside Waitakere Stadium.

Mr O'Connor said people should wait until the inquiry is finished before passing judgment on the incident.

However, he did say the policemen at the scene were well aware there was a cameraman present.

He said he had not spoken to the policemen involved but expected to do so in the next few days.

Police Commissioner's spokeswoman Sarah Martin said the officers' own district would be conducting a "full investigation".

However, she said it would be up to Police Minister Annette King to order a more general inquiry.

A spokesman for Ms King, John Harvey, said the minister had asked the Police Commissioner whether the protocols had been used appropriately in this case.

Ms King was out of the country until late last night, and a spokesman was unable to say what her response would be to the call for a wider inquiry.

The North Shore/Waitakere/ Rodney Police District confirmed today it had also started an investigation into the incident.

Inspector Janet Hope said: "I have directed my staff to commence a full investigation into this report.

"Police are taking the matter extremely seriously and the standard investigation processes and procedures will be followed"

* An arrest warrant was issued today when the man involved failed to appear in an Auckland court.

The 35 year-old builder was due to have appeared in Waitakere District Court this morning to face counts of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.

- NZPA, HERALD ONLINE STAFF