IPCA finds police justified in pepper spraying man on bus

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) has ruled that officers were justified in using pepper spray to remove a man from a bus in Naenae, Lower Hutt, following an incident on 16 June 2025.

Two officers had responded to reports of a man behaving aggressively at a local hotel and informed him he was under arrest. However, the man walked away, boarded a bus and refused to get off, prompting officers to use OC spray to detain him. He was subsequently charged with disorderly behaviour and resisting Police, although the disorderly behaviour charge was later withdrawn because of insufficient evidence.

The IPCA determined that the man had been lawfully detained, the force used was justified and officers had provided appropriate aftercare following the spraying. Acting Wellington District Commander Inspector Fleur de Bes said Police accepted the findings, noting that the incident highlighted the rapidly changing and challenging situations frontline officers regularly encounter.