The police watchdog has found the officers who attended a Christchurch incident where a pedestrian was killed by a driver evading police did not contribute to the death.
The scene of the hit and run in New Brighton in August last year. Photo: RNZ / Simon Rogers
Pedestrian Dean Amies was killed when he was struck by a van fleeing police in New Brighton in August last year.
The driver of the van, Liam Strickland was then the subject of a nine-day manhunt before he was found and charged with murder.
He has since pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is serving prison time.
The incident began when two people ran away from a car after a police pursuit ended in New Brighton.
One of the them, Liam Strickland, then stole a van from a nearby property, which he used to ram a police car.
He then struck Amies but did not stop and took off at speed.
The officers who were following the fleeing van then stopped the pursuit and assisted Amies who was killed at the scene.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority found the officers in the rammed patrol car did not know the van had been stolen and their pursuit was appropriate.
The Authority chair, Judge Colin Doherty, said the officers in the patrol car were faced with a very fast-moving situation.
"They initially arrived in the area to assist with apprehending the occupants of the Subaru which was entirely in keeping with their duties. The ramming of their patrol car was unexpected, and it was appropriate they followed the van as it sped off toward the roundabout."
Judge Doherty said Strickland was intent on getting away regardless of police beginning to follow him.
"The officers could not have anticipated the tragedy that what was about to unfold and what did unfold cannot be attributed to them in any way."