A burglar armed with a knife and fleeing police wrestled a police dog from his leg and held it by the jaw with both hands. 

In the violent struggle which followed, three officers were needed to overcome the man and the dog handler kicked him in the head. 

That use of force has now been deemed justified by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA). 

The incident happened in Hastings on September 20, 2023, after a resident called 111 to say a man they did not know was in their house and refusing to leave. 

Police arrived soon afterwards and found him on the street outside. 

When trying to arrest him, the officers recognised the man from a recent intelligence report, which warned he could be carrying a weapon. 

When police tried to arrest him, he ran off and refused instructions to stop, so the handler released the dog. 

The officers then struggled to arrest the man. 

Relieving Eastern District commander Inspector Lincoln Sycamore said the IPCA found the use of force was appropriate, given the circumstances. 

“I want to acknowledge the officers, and particularly the dog handler ... who under some really dangerous circumstances managed to resolve this incident without any injury to members of the public, officers or police dog,” Sycamore said. 

Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined NZME’s Open Justice team in 2022 and is based in Hawke’s Bay. His writing in the crime and justice sphere is informed by four years of front-line experience as a probation officer.