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An officer was unjustified in punching a 19-year-old in Auckland court cells two years ago, a report from the police watchdog has found.
The man had been in custody at the Manukau District Court in November 2023, when he began banging his head backward against the cell wall.
Officers stepped in to stop the man hurting himself, with one officer striking him twice in the arm.
The officer told the Independent Police Conduct Authority he went into the cell alone as he was concerned for the man's safety.
"I didn't want to wait because… one extra blow on the head may have… made the difference to hurting himself seriously or dying," he said in an IPCA report.
The 19-year-old was punched by the same officer after trying to spit at him while being restrained.
"I sort of panic reacted to him about to spit on me and pushed his face away with my arm. I thought it was my forearm I was using, but as it turned out it looked like it was my closed fist… that I pushed his face away with."
Another officer told the IPCA the first officer had become "a bit riled up", and pulled the man away from him.
The 19-year-old was eventually put in a restraint chair to prevent him banging his head further.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found the officer was unjustified in striking the man, but his use of force was justified to stop him from spitting at him.
"Custody officers should have made further attempts to stop Mr Z from banging his head before placing him in the restraint chair," the IPCA report said.
"[The officer] should have sought the custody sergeant's authorisation to use the restraint chair before initiating the process of placing [the 19-year-old] in it."
The IPCA found the officer used excessive force in trying to stop the man from spitting.
It said there was not sufficient evidence to charge the officer, though it was satisfied a disciplinary process could be considered.
Police said a disciplinary process had been carried, the details of which were confidential.
Counties Manukau District Commander Superintendent Shanan Gray said police had a duty of care to all people in their custody.
"That day the staff felt they needed to act with urgency after the detainee had hit his head against the wall multiple times with escalating intensity," he said.
"We accept the staff present could have had better co-ordination around a plan for a safer approach to the unfolding situation."
Gray said their investigation also found the punching the man in the face was unreasonable and unnecessary.
He said the officer was still employed by New Zealand Police.
