KEY POINTS:
A Tauranga policeman is under investigation after allegedly grabbing a man by the throat and slamming him to the ground while off-duty outside a city bar.
The alleged victim, Daniel Bull, 19 of Pyes Pa, near Tauranga, claims he was out with two friends last Saturday when the officer grabbed him around the throat for at least 15 seconds, cutting off his airway.
Mr Bull alleged it was an unprovoked attack witnessed by five on-duty police officers who did nothing about it.
The officer concerned has been stood down.
He believed the attack was caused by misinformation passed on by a woman the officer was with.
Mr Bull believed the woman mistook him for somebody else who had spat in her face the previous night. Mr Bull said he was in Hamilton that evening and it was not him.
"This off-duty police officer just grabbed me by the throat and slammed me down on the ground," he said.
"He had me on the ground for 15, 20 seconds ... then someone grabbed him off."
Western Bay police area commander Inspector Mike Clement confirmed an investigation into the incident was under way.
"A complaint has been received in respect of the matter ... the officer concerned has been stood down while the investigation continues," he said.
Officers were not automatically stood down when a complaint was lodged against them. It was considered on a case- by-case basis, he said.
Mr Clement refused to say what the circumstances were in this case.
When asked if the officer in question had been involved in any similar incidents before, Mr Clement replied: "No comment."
Mr Bull said his father dropped him and two friends off in downtown Tauranga's Devonport Rd about 10pm that night. The trio visited a few bars on The Strand before queuing to enter the Grumpy Mole at about 11.30pm.
It was while he was waiting in line that he was allegedly assaulted by the officer, who came from behind.
"It was pretty sudden, I couldn't believe what was happening," Mr Bull said.
Mr Bull recognised the officer from some run-ins with the law he'd had in the past, including disorderly behaviour and breaching the liquor ban, and from the group of officers that patrol The Strand on weekends.
He also recognised the woman as an officer who had spoken to his friend about traffic offences the day before.
Mr Bull said after the off-duty officer released his grip, he walked off, but then returned and took Mr Bull across the road to a spot outside Cafe on The Strand.
"He was in a bit of a state, you could tell he had been drinking," Mr Bull said.
Mr Bull claimed the off-duty police officer begged him not to press charges, because it would "ruin" his career, Mr Bull said.
The officer, he said, tried to shake his hand, and put the matter to rest without Mr Bull going to the police station. "He couldn't really say a straight sentence."
Mr Bull said the female off-duty officer joined the two outside the cafe, crying and claiming she 'didn't want this to happen'.
Mr Bull said when the pair left he went to the police station to make a complaint. He was allegedly told by a Senior Sergeant to return when he was less angry and aggressive.
Mr Bull admitted he had been drinking at the time of the alleged assault, and returned the next day when he was sober.
He was quite upset about the events.
"It was [mainly that] the five police officers on duty watched the whole thing and didn't do anything," he said.
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
