• Hundreds gathered in West Auckland to say their goodbyes to Faasala Samu Matue, who died during a police confrontation.
• Family allege police violently assaulted Matue and are seeking answers about his death.
• Matue was a Pacific Youth Worker at the Grace Foundation, supporting newly released inmates.

Hundreds of Grace Foundation colleagues turned up to pay their respects to Faasala Samu (Sam) Matue, 45, who died at Ōrere Point, East Auckland, on March 2 at the hands of police.

Matue died as he and another person were attempting to flee police before Matue allegedly bit an officer’s hand and threatened them with a metal pole. Police initially reported Matue was swinging a samurai sword, and Tasered him before releasing a dog on to him.

Sam Matue had been working at the Grace Foundation for two years. Photo / Dave Letele

Family members are alleging police violently assaulted Matue during the confrontation. They say the multiple injuries to Matue’s body are horrific and heartbreaking, forcing them to have a closed coffin.

Today, hundreds of Grace Foundation colleagues travelled to West Auckland to say their goodbyes. Matue’s body will be taken from Kelston to Ōtara today for preparation to fly his body home to Australia on Thursday.

A GoFundMe page has raised $2,338 towards a $12,000 target.

Led by Dave Letele snr, who runs the Grace Foundation, the group performed a spine-tingling and emotional haka and sang waiata in Māori and Samoan.

Matue’s whānau wailed as the hymns were sung.

His eldest niece, Whitney Matue, said her uncle would be surprised at the outpouring of aroha (love) and manaaki (respect) the whānau had received since his untimely death.

“Anything that can help with getting Uncle’s body back to Australia for a service is greatly appreciated,” Whitney Matue told the Herald.

• ‘My grandpa is waiting for his son’: Family of man who died at Ōrere Point try to get body home
• Calls for change: Petition demands police bodycams after man’s death
• ‘They’ve destroyed him’: Family allege police assaulted man who died after being tasered

“As nieces and nephews, we want to help our parents as much as we can, which is why we set up the GoFundMe.

“We don’t come from a family of money and [are] grateful to those who have contributed.”

Lubica Matiasi (left), Fa'asala Sam Matue's first cousin, and Whitney Matue, his eldest niece. Photo / Calvin Samuel, RNZ

Matue entered the Grace Foundation – the country’s largest rehabilitation and accommodation service for newly released prison inmates – and joined the Grace family (whānau/aiga) as a Pacific youth worker, after completing a course.

“After prison, he came to the Grace Foundation and never offended again,” a colleague of Matue’s said.

“He did the eight-month programme and once he completed that, his next part of the programme was to serve. He was working with the Pasifika Youth.”

Whitney Matue said her uncle was a shy character and his alleged behaviour, according to police, was “so not him”.

“Uncle wouldn’t have wanted this and we didn’t want this but we will deal with getting Uncle Sam home to Australia to his father, my grandfather, first and then keep pushing to find out what happened and why,” she said.

“This is more than just my Uncle Sam dying at the hands of police. We have been contacted by so many people saying similar things have happened to them. We won’t stop until we get the answers.”

Whitney Matue said her grandad’s heart is aching and that’s why it is important they get her uncle’s body back to Australia as soon as possible.

“He is hurt and waiting eagerly for his son’s return.”

Sam Matue, who had two children, was deported from Australia in 2017 to New Zealand under the Australian Government’s controversial 501 law.

Police have a number of inquiries under way into Matue’s death.

“Mr Matue’s cause of death has not been determined as yet,” said Counties Manukau District Commander Superintendent Shannan Gray. “Police will await further findings from a pathologist.”

Confronting footage of the moments before Matue’s death emerged after the incident last week, showing him being Tasered.

The Matue whānau have pledged to fight for justice and a petition has already passed their 10,000-signature target and now has a new target set of 15,000 signatures.

His body will be taken to Ōtara for a service tonight and then flown to Australia on Thursday.

Joseph Los’e is an award-winning journalist and joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper, covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and prior to joining NZME worked for 12 urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira.