An officer was unjustified in releasing her police dog to chase and bite a fleeing suspect, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) has found.
The incident took place in August 2021 after two youths abandoned a car they had stolen and fled on foot.
During the pursuit the officer released the dog, which latched onto the driver of the vehicle, leaving him with a serious injury to his lower leg.
An IPCA investigation found the officer had used "excessive force" considering the risk posed by the offenders was minimal and the seriousness of the offence was only moderate.
The authority rejected the officer's claim that the youths had used force to resist the arrest.
In their investigation, the IPCA also considered the fact that the area was already cordoned off, and that the dog could have attacked the passenger, who had not necessarily committed an offence.
"We accept that, without the use of the Police dog and if the Police cordon had been ineffective, there was a relatively low prospect of future apprehension of [the offenders]," they said.
"However, their offending was only of moderate seriousness and their risk to the safety of the police and the public was minimal."
The authority also found the officer had used derogatory language towards the driver when she caught up to him.
Police said they have accepted the IPCA's findings.
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