Father fumes after fracas with police

Five Blenheim children, including a 13-month-old baby, were pepper-sprayed by police and then left without help for more than an hour, their Mongrel Mob father claims.

Patched mob member Tony Taurima is fuming after five of his six children were allegedly pepper-sprayed while Blenheim police officers arrested him, his partner and another man after a violent clash with police in a Brewer St home on Labour Day.

However, Senior Sergeant Ciaran Sloan of Blenheim said the situation was different to that being alleged by Taurima.

He said police went to the house after a report that a woman was being assaulted, and the officers acted "lawfully and appropriately at the address as the incident unfolded".

"As matters are now before a court of law, we are constrained as to what we can say, and the full facts, which will differ from those alleged, will be made public in due course," Mr Sloan said.

The three arrested adults were bailed after an appearance in the Blenheim District Court, to reappear on November 10 on charges of resisting and assaulting police.

Taurima is also alleged to have threatened to kill a police officer, while the other man faces an intentional damage charge.

Taurima said he was taken from the property by police but a relative who remained behind told him that the children, aged between 13 months and 13 years, were affected by pepper spray used during the incident.

The children were left screaming in pain and did not get to sleep until 2am, more than four hours after the incident, he said.

"The law that's supposed to protect my children came in and pepper-sprayed my children ... it was a home invasion."

He was also angry that police did not seek medical attention for the children.

A Child, Youth and Family officer who arrived at the house about an hour and a half later told the relative to put the children in the shower to wash off the spray.

A Child, Youth and Family national spokesperson declined to comment on the case.

Taurima said he planned to complain to Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples and the Children's Commissioner.

Police national headquarters media relations manager Jon Neilson declined to comment because the matter was before the court.

However, he said Taurima could lay a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority if he was unhappy.

Police have guidelines for the use of pepper spray, including its use in "crowd situations". According to the guidelines, the spray should "as a general rule ... not be used in crowd situations".

"However, it can be used against more than one person at a time, if circumstances justify this," the guidelines say. Unless impractical, police officers must also warn a person before they use pepper spray, as well as those nearby.

- The Marlborough Express