Story: Ombudsmen and officers of Parliament

Taser trouble

Taser trouble

Constable Mike Smith is tasered by Sergeant Darrin Putt during a 2006 demonstration of the effectiveness of the weapon in incapacitating criminals. In 2009, after tasers came into use by the New Zealand police, Television New Zealand requested footage of an incident recorded by a taser camera (an attached camera which was activated when the taser was fired). The police refused on the grounds that supplying the footage would compromise an accused person's right to a fair trial. TVNZ then complained to the ombudsman, who investigated and ultimately found in favour of the police.

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New Zealand Herald
Reference: 290806NZHMMTASER1.JPG
Photograph by Mark Mitchell

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How to cite this page:

David McGee, 'Ombudsmen and officers of Parliament - Ombudsmen – official information requests', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/33103/taser-trouble (accessed 4 May 2024)

Story by David McGee, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 20 Jan 2017