Otago cop charged with assault still on duty

Photo / File

A police officer has been charged with assault, following an investigation into an alleged excessive use of force at the Cromwell station in October.

The constable will appear in the Alexandra District Court on December 11.

Relieving Otago rural area commander Inspector Olaf Jensen said the constable would remain on duty, although restricted from front-line work, while the matter was being dealt with by the court.

A police spokeswoman said there would be no further comment on the matter, as it was before the court.

The Otago Daily Times had asked police whether it was unusual for an officer to remain on duty when facing a charge such as assault, the gender of the constable charged, or if there were any injuries during the alleged excessive use of force.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority is carrying out a separate investigation into the incident.

Asked for comment yesterday, IPCA senior communications adviser Stacey Smith said the authority was waiting on further information from police about the incident and until it received that information it was unable to comment further.

A former Central Otago policeman will also appear in the Alexandra court on December 11, for sentencing on a separate matter.

The former officer pleaded guilty last month to a charge of intentionally making an intimate visual recording of another person, using a police-issue iPhone to record a teenage girl having a shower.

The man, who has resigned from the police, has been granted interim name suppression.