The skateboarder at Washington Way Skate Park in Christchurch falls forward after he was tased by a police officer.
The skateboarder at Washington Way Skate Park in Christchurch falls forward after he was tased by a police officer.
Police have responded after a video showing a Christchurch skateboarder being dramatically felled by a taser went viral on social media, saying officers “did an extremely professional job”.
The short video, recorded at the Washington Way Skate Park in Sydenham on February 7, shows a man on a skateboard appearing to attempt an escape from pursuing officers before one, advancing with his Taser drawn, shouts “you’re under arrest” and immediately sends an electric shock through his body.
He instantly stiffens and the forward motion propels him, face first, into the concrete.
A second officer then approaches, folding one arm behind the man’s back as he moans, preparing to handcuff him before the clip ends as a third officer arrives with a police dog.
The clip quickly racked up over 100,000 views on TikTok where some labelled the officer’s actions as “dangerous” and queried why there was a need to use the Taser.
Superintendent Lane Todd, the Christchurch Metro Area Commander, told the Herald the video only showed a fraction of what was a protracted incident.
He said the 26-year-old man had a warrant out for his arrest and was actively breaching his bail conditions and evading police.
He faces 15 charges including aggravated assault, possession of an offensive weapon and driving and drug-related charges.
Todd said, after forming a plan, police approached the man and verbally placed him under arrest, adding that he then “tried to flee from police”.
“Police assessed risk the offender posed to officers and members of the public, using a TENR (Threat, Exposure, Necessity, Response) risk assessment. The offender was deemed to present a risk to staff and the public, and was likely to abscond if a taser were not deployed.
“The man was tasered and then taken into custody,” Todd said.
The TENR risk assessment involves officers gathering all known information about a situation and from there determining what is required to resolve any incident.
Todd told the Herald that the officer who deployed the Taser completed a Tactical Option Report, which contained the factors considered in the risk assessment, and that the report was review by the officer’s supervisor and the Area Commander, alongside footage captured by the Taser.
The Independent Police Complaints Authority has previously found that “a Taser can only be used on a person who is assaultive” and “it cannot be used on an uncooperative but non-aggressive person to induce compliance.”
The arrested man was assessed by a doctor after his arrest and sustained minor injuries likely caused due to the fall when tasered.
“I trust our officers to make the best decisions, based on the individual circumstances of an incident and the risk that is posed to both themselves and to members of the public,” Todd said.
“Our officers did an extremely professional job at keeping everyone safe.”
