The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found a police motorcycle officer was not justified in pursuing a motorcyclist at speeds approaching 200km/h during an 11-kilometre chase that ended with the rider’s death in Auckland.
The incident occurred on 13 July 2023, when the officer was assisting at a road policing checkpoint on Lincoln Road in Henderson. He noticed a man riding a Ducati motorcycle slowly through heavy traffic and signalled for him to stop.
The rider failed to comply and entered the motorway, with the officer following him onto State Highway 16 and later State Highway 18.
According to the IPCA, CCTV footage showed both motorcycles travelling substantially faster than surrounding traffic. The Ducati rider reached speeds of about 180km/h, while the officer travelled at up to 192km/h and was at times approximately 100 metres behind.
The Authority said both riders changed lanes repeatedly and passed close to other vehicles, creating a serious risk to themselves and other road users.
The pursuit continued for about 11 kilometres before the Ducati rider took an offramp near Greenhithe and crashed into a lamppost near Tauhinu Road. He died as a result of the collision.
The officer maintained that he had decided to abandon the pursuit shortly before the crash, but the IPCA said CCTV footage provided no indication that this had occurred.
The Authority concluded the officer’s assessment of the risks involved was “seriously flawed”, particularly given the nature of the suspected offending that had prompted the attempted stop.
It found the alleged offending did not warrant the danger created by continuing a high-speed pursuit and said the officer should have abandoned the chase shortly after entering State Highway 16.
A significant factor was the officer’s inability to communicate with the Police Communications Centre because his radio was not working. He did not notify communications staff that a pursuit was underway and provided no running commentary during the chase.
The IPCA said this breached police policy and meant personnel responsible for overseeing pursuits had no opportunity to assess the situation or direct the officer to stop.
The Authority concluded that the officer’s conduct was dangerous, breached policy and was a material contributing factor in the fatal crash.
Police carried out a separate critical incident investigation following the death and subsequently charged the officer with dangerous driving causing death.
He was acquitted of that charge but convicted of the lesser offence of driving a motor vehicle in a dangerous manner and disqualified from driving for six months.
An internal employment process was also initiated. The officer resigned from New Zealand Police in April 2026, shortly before that process was due to conclude.
Police have accepted the IPCA’s findings.
Acting Superintendent Simon Walker, Relieving Waitematā District Commander, acknowledged the impact of the incident and expressed condolences to the dead man’s family.
“The public rightly expect Police staff to exercise sound judgement and uphold the highest standards of conduct while carrying out their duties,” Walker said.
“Incidents such as this have a significant impact on all those involved and serve as a reminder of the importance of sound judgement and effective risk assessment in all aspects of policing.”
The IPCA completed its investigation in March 2024 but delayed publication of its findings until the criminal proceedings and Police employment process had concluded in April 2026.
