The family of a man who was Tasered four times by police and later died in hospital say they "can't comprehend" what happened.
Alo Ngata was arrested in central Auckland on Sunday after bashing an elderly man and repeatedly kicking him in the head.
But his family are baffled. They say they didn't know he was capable of such violence and he was humble, kind, and caring.
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His aunty, Kristina Sofele says the family had no idea about the incident that caused him to be hospitalised.
"Most of us came when he was in critical care, we weren't aware of what happened, we didn't know how he came to be in hospital," she told Newshub.
She says they put the pieces together after reading a newspaper report.
"We're finding it hard to comprehend. We can't comprehend when you read that article, that that's the person we know," she told Newshub.
"The only thing we can think is that he must of been under the influence of some drug or alcohol."
She says she's not angry at police, but any forgiveness won't bring her nephew back.
"Police were doing their job, but that's left us with a son - who's no longer here," she told Newshub.
Police were called to Freemans Bay after reports Ngata was beating an elderly man. During the scuffle, they say he threw the 76-year-old to the ground.
"The man was on the ground, he kicked him in the head, five, six times, possibly more," Auckland City District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus says.
Then after refusing to move, he lunged at police. They Tasered him four times because the first two were ineffective.
"If my officers did not use their Tasers then I think I would have two seriously-injured police officers, if not dead," Supt Malthus says.
"The deceased was acting so violently that it would not have been the correct option to go forward and try lay hands on him."
That's how neighbours feel as well.
Newshub has spoken to a number of residents on Beresford Street who watched the incident unfold. They told us the man was "out of control" and that two residents even had to help officers restrain him.
After getting him back to the police station, officers noticed Ngata's condition was getting worse and moved him to hospital, where he died on Wednesday morning.
His victim is still recovering in hospital, and the matter has been referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
Newshub.
