Witness says man who died in police custody three days after being arrested and tasered was 'out of control'

Police arrest a man in Beresford St, Central Auckland. The man was tasered several times and was taken to hospital where he passed away. Photo / NZME

The man who died in custody three days after his arrest was acting like a "wild animal", an eye-witness says.

The man violently attacked an elderly person in Freemans Bay on Sunday outside a residential address and was tasered multiple times by police.

"He was out of control," the witness told the Herald.

"He was resisting arrest and he came at the cops as well, he was told to bloody get on the ground and he didn't, so they tasered him."

The witness said police officers struggled to apprehend the attacker and it took up to five minutes to get him into a position where they could take him away.

Roaming the street around 3pm on Sunday, the "big bugger" was yelling incoherently and slapping cars before he attacked the elderly man.

"The bloke who was arrested did seem to be high on drugs, certainly behaving out of control," the witness said.

The male offender was observed kicking the victim in the head while he lay on the ground unconscious.

Auckland City District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus said the officers were forced to taser the man.

"Their repeated commands were ignored and the offender lunged towards them before he was tasered multiple times.

"During the arrest process the offender violently struggled, which required two more back-up officers to assist to apply necessary restraints and a spit hood."

Police staff attended to the elderly victim until paramedics arrived and he was taken to hospital. He remains in a serious condition.

The attacker was taken to the Auckland Police Custody Unit in an agitated state.

His condition began to deteriorate while in custody and police were required to perform CPR until an ambulance arrived.

He was taken to hospital and died this morning.

The witness told the Herald he was adamant the police officers who arrested the man acted appropriately when handling the attacker.

"I was pretty close to it and I thought the police response was appropriate in the circumstances.

"He didn't respond when the police told him to get on the ground, that's why they tasered him," he said.

The police do not believe the elderly victim and the offender were known to each other.

Police are engaged with the deceased's family and are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the assault and the death in custody.