A jury has found Inspector Hurimoana Dennis and Sergeant Vaughan Perry not guilty on two charges of kidnapping at the Auckland High Court today.
After hours of deliberation, the jury reconvened this morning and reached their verdict shortly after midday.
The pair has been on trial over the ‘mock-arrest’ of a 17-year-old boy at Auckland Central Police Station in May 2015.
Dennis has been under investigation since 2015 for allegedly locking a teenage boy in an Auckland Police station cell, in an attempt to end a sexual relationship with an underage girl.
Both were remanded on bail and the case was set to be reviewed on 15 February 2016.
Earlier this year Lawyer Steve Bonnar spoke to Te Kāea. He believed Dennis should not have faced any charges.
“I don’t think he should have been charged with anything. Why? Because he's acted at all times in what he considered to be the best interests of the young man with the consent of the young man’s whānau and he believed with the consent of the young man himself.”
Mr Dennis was stood down by police in September 2015 after a complaint was laid by the teenage boy.
Dennis was the front man for Te Puea marae's Manaaki Tangata homeless programme and remains the chair of the South Auckland marae.
Te Kāea reporter Raniera Harrison will have more on this tonight on Te Kāea at 5pm o Te Reo Channel.