A police officer caught on camera pushing a man over and insulting a woman at a Christchurch party will not face criminal charges.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority investigated the incident outside the Ilam party on April 1. It found the officer's actions breached the police code of conduct.
The watchdog, which released its findings to Stuff on Tuesday, said the officer breached the police code of conduct and had used inappropriate language and assaulted a member of the public.
The officer was filmed as he called a woman "skanky" and shoved a man to the ground who swore at him in response.
“Police determined it was not in the public interest to prosecute the officer as the officer accepted full responsibility, the person did not want the officer to be charged, and the officer met with the members of public for a restorative justice process,” Stuff reported from the IPCA findings.
It is now an employment matter for the police.
The incident was filmed as officers were trying to quell the party attended by about 200 revellers.
At the time, a nearby resident said the "student" party had spilled on to the street. Police formed a line to sweep the partygoers out of the area, the neighbour said.
The officer in the video can be seen trailing behind his colleagues who had moved up the street. A group of four people called out to the officer: "Hey, he's done nothing wrong".
The officer warned the group to go home: "Leave the area now or you will be arrested," he said.
A women then told the officer she would "tell my police officer father" about the incident.
The officer asked "who's that" before he started to walk away, saying: "I'm sure he's really proud of having a skanky daughter in the streets swearing at the top of her head".
That prompted a man from within the group to say: "Don't f*** call my missus skanky". The officer can then be seen shoving the man in the chest.
