Just before close of business today, 4:49PM - the day they said they would release the name of the person that died in their custody in a South Auckland police station - the NZ Police issue a statement. The heaving of the family, trying to keep the media away, and refusing to release any basic information is what this cursory press release represents.
That family needs a lawyer not cops. The last one that family had contact with most likely killed him.
Counties Manukau Police can now name the man who died in Police custody on Sunday 23 February. He was Sentry Taitoko of Manurewa.
The multiple investigations into Sentry's death are ongoing.
"Whanau have suffered a huge loss. There are many people whose emotions are running high. We ask that the public and media have patience regarding the situation as we need police to get on with their investigation into this case, and we ask for our family to be left alone to grieve for our loved one."
cover up and suppress what they have done. The family need some answers, not enforced isolation by the police. The public demand answers and if the police aren't forthcoming then the media should and will go to the family for them. They also should be speaking to the ambulance staff who attended.
As you can see by the tactics of the press release timing today the NZ Police are in spin mode. The least you can do when your organisation kills someone is have some decent Comms. The give away is the "we need police to get on with their investigation" bit. Only the police would put it that way, not a grieving family. What that family needs is anyone but the police to do this investigation. Families, especially Maori families, don't want "to be left alone" in times like this, quite the contrary, they want support. So who made them sign this? It doesn't sound like the words of the family it sounds like the words of cops hushing things up.
This young man didnt deserve the treatment he got .