Officer charged over waterfront police chase

1:27 pm on 4 October 2016

A police officer is facing a dangerous driving charge for pursuing a fleeing motorist in a dramatic chase along Wellington's waterfront.

A pedestrian area along Wellington's waterfront.

A pedestrian area on Wellingtons waterfront (file). The police car and the vehicle it was chasing drove off the street and onto the waterfront. Photo: 123RF

Bystanders were forced to leap out of the path of the police car and the vehicle it was following, when they drove off the street and onto the waterfront during the April chase, which began in Oriental Bay.

The fleeing driver, Jason Gregory, was charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop for the police and two charges of stealing radar detectors.

Last month he was jailed for a five months and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

His passenger, Steven Kells, was also charged with the theft of radar detectors and was sentenced to a short term of home detention and ordered to undertake community work.

The police officer, whose name is suppressed, has appeared in the Wellington District Court. He will return to court later this month.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority is also investigating the incident.