The IPCA have released its report into complaints laid about the protest and occupation at Parliament in 2022, which police said presented one of the most "significant policing challenges" for decades in New Zealand.
"The Review: Policing of the Protest and Occupation at Parliament 2022" report outlines 1905 complaints relating to the protest, many alleging police used "excessive force" on protesters.
Of the 1905 complaints received by the IPCA, it determined that 19 required either a specific investigation or further enquiries to be undertaken.
Six of the matters investigated were about events on February 10, the day police first tried to clear Parliament grounds.
"All of these were about police use of force on protesters," it said.
The IPCA confirmed three of the six matters found the police use of force was justified, in two investigations that the use of force was excessive and in one case could not make a finding.
"We received two further complaints following the publication of our general report, both concerning an officer’s use of force on a person’s head during arrest. We had already been investigating the actions of this officer as part of a complaint from another man arrested in a similar manner," it confirmed.
The IPCA investigated three incidents which occurred between February 21-23, 2022.
"Two cases concerned uses of force on people and in both cases we found the force used was excessive. The third case concerned Police actions concerning a family driving a van and we found those actions were reasonable, including smashing one of the van’s windows," it said.
There were 10 complaints about events on March 2, eight of these about Police use of force on protesters. which was the day Police undertook a large-scale operation involving about 600 Police officers to clear protesters, vehicles, and structures from the protest site.
In five of the eight cases about police use of force on protesters, the IPCA found the use of force was justified.
"In two cases that the use of force was excessive and in one case could not make a finding," it said.
One case related to the impoundment of and damage to a vehicle, and the other case concerned the arrest of a young person who was heading home and not involved in events.
In total, the IPCA found six instances of excessive force from three periods of police response to the protest.
A summary of each complaint investigated would be made on the IPCA website "in due course", it said.
Police 'incredibly proud' of officers
Police have acknowledged the findings of the IPCA in relation to complaints received about the protest and occupation at Parliament.
Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming said hundreds of police officers were deployed across the duration of the protest and occupation and she is "incredibly proud" of the work that they did.
"They were faced with a level of violence and vitriol that we have never before experienced in New Zealand," McSkimming said.
"Despite the provocation and violent behaviour exhibited by some protesters over the duration of this event, the overwhelming majority of our officers did an exemplary job.
She acknowledged there were a very small number of incidents Police "didn’t get it right" and said where that occurred Police have taken steps to address it.
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