Three Auckland police officers charged with assault after vehicle failed to stop after ram raid

Details of the incident early in 2022 in Mt Roskill that is the subject of the allegations remain unclear. The Herald has sought comment from police. Photo / File

Three Auckland police officers have been charged with assault after a ram raid and a police chase early last year.

Court documents show the alleged assaults happened in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill on January 3, 2022. All three men, understood to be a sergeant and two constables, have pleaded not guilty.

The trio face five counts of common assault between them, with the court documents naming three alleged victims.

A 39-year-old officer is charged with assaulting one person, while a 25-year-old and a 28-year-old officer each face two charges of assault. Common assault charges carry a maximum penalty of a year in prison.

Superintendent Karyn Malthus, Auckland City District Commander, said a car that ram-raided a dairy had failed to stop for police early on January 3.

“An investigation was later carried out into staff actions in apprehending the offenders involved,” Malthus said.

The charges were the result of that investigation, Malthus said.

“All three are on restricted duties while the matter remains before the Auckland District Court.”

Malthus said police would not comment further while the matter remained before the court.

The Herald was in court when the 25-year-old appeared briefly before a registrar during a typically busy morning list of cases.

His lawyer Richard Marchant entered a not-guilty plea on his client’s behalf.

Outside court, Marchant said the alleged assaults were also the subject of a police employment matter.

The 28-year-old and 39-year-old have also pleaded not guilty. All three men have been remanded on bail ahead of their next appearance on September 6.