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Kōrero: Ombudsmen and officers of Parliament

Taser trouble

Image
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.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

New Zealand Herald

Reference: 290806NZHMMTASER1.JPG

by Mark Mitchell

Permission of the New Zealand Herald must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

David McGee, Ombudsmen and officers of Parliament – Ombudsmen – official information requests, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/33103/taser-trouble (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā David McGee, i tāngia i te 21 May 2012, updated 20 January 2017.