Two errors in northern motorway police chase, report says

Police have been criticised for an ‘‘ill-considered’’ pursuit of a stolen vehicle that breached police policy.

An Independent Police Conduct Authority report into the April 2013 chase in Auckland said police were justified in starting the pursuit.

However, IPCA chairman Judge Sir David Carruthers says the officers involved drove in an unjustified manner in two respects.

The chase happened after a Nissan Terrano four-wheel drive was stolen from Silverdale.

The police helicopter found the vehicle, and as it approached the Northcote Rd interchange, a following police car turned on its lights and siren to signal the driver to stop.

When the driver didn’t, the pursuit began. Carruthers says the driver was obliged to stop and the police were entitled to begin the pursuit.

However, two aspects of the pursuit were conducted in an unjustified manner, he says.

Firstly, one of the six police vehicles involved pulled in front of the 4WD and attempted to force it to stop. In order to get ahead, the fleeing driver then pulled into the right-hand lane beside the police vehicle, Carruthers says.

When the driver failed to get ahead he swerved back in behind the police vehicle, clipping the rear right-hand side of the car as he did so.

Carruthers says that by doing this, the police officer had breached policy by attempting a ‘ ‘ noncompliant vehicle stop’’.

Secondly, after the Nissan had left the motorway and the 31-second pursuit had been called off, three police vehicles continued to search for the 4WD.

A fourth police vehicle then activated its warning lights and drove at speed towards the 4WD, crossing on to the wrong side of the road heading towards Onewa Domain.

These actions were dangerous, unnecessary and contrary to law, Carruthers says.

The 4WD was found abandoned and two occupants caught later.

Carruthers says the authority was working with police in revising pursuit policies.