The Ministry for Primary Industries is investigating an incident in which a goat was tasered in Oamaru.
A MPI spokesman confirmed the ministry was investigating the December 1 incident in which a police officer tasered a goat and animal control euthanised the animal. The spokesman would not go into any detail of what or who was being investigated and said there would be no comment until the investigation was completed.
The panicked goat had led police and animal welfare officers on a wild goose chase in downtown Oamaru for part of the day and was later tasered after it was discovered bailed up in a garage by a dog.
The senior constable sent to the scene confronted the goat, which charged him, and fired his taser.
The decision to put down the goat was made by animal control, the officer said. It was not because of injuries caused by the Taser.
A police spokeswoman said a recording was made automatically whenever a Taser was turned on, but police have refused to release video footage of the incident.
In a response to a request under the Official Information Act, Superintendent Chris Scahill said the request was declined because making the video available could prejudice the maintenance of the law, including the prevention, investigation, and detection of offences and the right to a fair trial.
Supt Scahill said MPI’s investigation began in the second week of February.
"It has arisen as a result of ongoing consideration of the full circumstances of the event by police, which has also led to an internal policy, practice and procedure review being initiated."
Related Stories
Comments
It may be news to Mr Cahill, as it inevitably is to most cops, but refusing to release the video is much more likely to "prejudice the maintenance of the law". It certainly prejudices respect for the law.