Allen Ball

On July 1, 2021, 55-year-old Allen Ball died at a police station in Hāwera, New Zealand.

Ball was arrested after a call about domestic incident. He was taken to a police station and placed in a cell. About 2 hours later he was found unconscious. After the arrival of the ambulance, he was declared dead.

In July 2021, the jury decided that the three police officers who arrested Ball and were supposed to watch him at the station were not responsible for his death. The officers say they failed to recognize signs that Ball needed medical attention because they weren’t trained to do so. The coronal investigation of this case is ongoing. Shortly before his arrest, Ball reportedly took alcohol and medication.

In December 2021, the investigation found that the police failed in duty of care to Ball in police station. In June 2022, a police spokesman stated that the case was still under investigation, so the question of the careers of the three officers in the police had not yet been resolved.