The family of an Auckland father-of-two who died shortly after being taken into police custody earlier this month is calling for the mandatory use of police body cameras.
Faasala Samu Matue, 45, known as Sam, died at Ōrere Point Beach in East Auckland on March 2.
The vehicle he was travelling in was sought by police over an alleged aggravated robbery of a bar on Auckland’s North Shore.
A three minute video has surfaced showing some of the moments prior to and during Matue’s arrest, leading his family to raise their concerns.
Police Assistant Commissioner Jill Rogers said three lengthy investigations were underway, and conclusions should not be drawn until those are complete.
The family of a father of two who died shortly after being taken into police custody earlier this month are calling for the mandatory use of police body cameras. (Source: Breakfast)
Lubica Matiasi, known as Beka, is Matue’s first cousin. She’s a business owner, a member of the Mormon church and the nominated spokesperson for Matue’s siblings and extended family.
“Our plea as a family is to bring awareness to this because we don’t want another family to suffer like we have, to have so many questions like we have – because it’s just not fair, it’s not fair at all,” she told Breakfast.
“We just want justice for Sam because he didn’t deserve to die like that.”
Police said Matue was a passenger in a car being sought over an alleged aggravated robbery that occurred at a bar in Auckland’s Takapuna on March 1.
Police say the car was spotted at Papakura in South Auckland the following afternoon. It’s alleged the car failed to pull over and drove northeast to Ōrere Point Beach where it came to a stop. The driver was taken into custody.
Police say Matue challenged an officer with a metal pole. Officers used tasers and pepper spray. Police say he continued to resist arrest and an officer suffered a serious hand injury after being bitten by Matue.
A police dog was then deployed and Matue was taken into custody but quickly became unresponsive. Police said officers provided medical assistance immediately and a medical helicopter was dispatched, but Matue could not be revived and died at the scene.
Matiasi has shared her views about the video showing her cousin’s arrest.
“You know he was on the ground on these rocks being tasered by two different tasers. And then to be kicked and then have a dog on him – it was, it was just very, very emotional to see that happen to a person. And that didn’t have to be my cousin to, you know, for me to feel for that person because that’s not very humane.”
Police said an autopsy was not able to determine Matue’s cause of death and further toxicology tests are being carried out.
Among the three investigations were one by the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
Rogers strongly advised against drawing conclusions based on a single video before all the facts, including other footage, are reviewed.
“These investigations will unpack the entire sequence of events from that afternoon, including a serious hand injury being inflicted on one of our colleagues after being bitten by Mr Matue,” Rogers said.
Matiasi and other family members who Breakfast spoke to say they don’t know why Matue was in the vehicle that day.
Following an inquiry from Breakfast, police yesterday said Matue was a person of interest in the alleged aggravated robbery at Takapuna on March 1. Police said a firearm was involved.
In response, Matiasi said she was surprised to hear this, saying police had told the family that was not the case. She said it was “convenient” for the police to now disclose this information.
Last week, Matue’s family and friends gathered at Ōrere Point Beach to pay their respects.
Deported from Australia
Matue moved from Auckland to Brisbane in his early teens. Matiasi knew little about his life in Australia, but they did keep in touch.
She said her cousin did have a criminal history and that around 2018 he was deported from Australia to New Zealand under Australia’s 501 policy. Matue spent time in prison here when he returned.
“To be honest I don’t know the exact details of why he had come back. That’s not something that I had asked him personally. I guess… you know, he’s my cousin, you know? I don’t judge him on anything that he has done.
“He was doing something that he loved, he was looking forward to his kids coming to visit him from Australia, he was looking forward to meeting his grandson for the first time.”
The family has launched a petition calling for the use of mandatory body cameras by police.
“So that situations like this or even just any minor offences that might happen, there’s always something there to prove,” Matiasi said.
Police did not provide a response to questions around whether this was a policy it would consider.
