Case no. 1

At about 8pm on Thursday 16 September, a number of members of Wellington's Black Power Gang entered the Caledonian Hotel in Adelaide Rd.

They were in a jovial mood. Joe Davis, another member of the group, called out to them from the other side of the bar. He had been in there for some hours previous. Someone made a joke about Joe shouting a round, and they all settled down to a quiet evening's entertainment.

Just before nine a policeman and two men in suits came into the bar. They looked as though they were from another world because of the nature of their dress and the general awkwardness of their actions. One of them was an inspector, another was a plain clothes detective, and the third was the Member of Parliament for Wellington Central, Ken Comber.

Everyone in the bar stared. They looked around as if inspecting the behaviour of the bar's patrons. Ken Comber nodded to a group of drinkers, and noted the Black Power insignias worn by the group in the corner.

After a few moments the three men left the bar. They paused outside the door, looking back in and discussing what they had seen. They then moved off to a waiting police car.

About 10 minutes before 10 pm the police arrived back. A group of about ten policemen entered the public bar of the Caledonian. The scene was similar to what it had been previously. There were people (both Maoris and Europeans) occupying most of the tables. The Black Power Group were still remained where they had been previously. There was no skylarking, no tension, it was just a normal Thursday night at the pub.

Most of the policemen lined themselves up along the wall near to where the gang were sitting. The others moved around the bar telling people to leave. Most finished their drinks and moved off. The policemen along the wall stared at the Black Power group, waiting for something to happen. The gang ignored them, although there were chuckles from jokes passed backwards and forwards about the intimidatory nature of several policemen, who would rise up on their toes as if they were itching for a little exercise.

A policeman came up to the group and told them it was lime to leave. "Okay Sir," came the reply, as one of the older members of the group downed his beer and stood up. The others looked at one another, finished their drinks, and headed for the door. The policemen standing up against the wall followed them out.

Outside, the police had double-parked a paddywagon across the path of the Black Power Gang's van. Several members protested, but the police told them to move along. Joe Davis was fooling with another gang member L. when suddenly one of the policemen grabbed him by the arm and hauled him over towards the paddy-wagon. At the same time another hotel patron was also hauled towards the police van.

The police pushed them inside the back door of the van. Because the entrance was so narrow both of them could not fit in a once. So the policeman took out his truncheon and hit him about the head - obviously as a persuasion to move a little faster.

Joe didn't remember much after that. The left side of his face hurt, his eyes were sore, and he felt sick.

At the police station he was processed and charged with resisting arrest, obscene language, and assault on a police constable. He was taken up to the hospital for treatment by a doctor, but there was no doctor available, so it was back down to the cells for the night.

Next day in court there was no comment made on the cuts to his face, or the black eye. The magistrate looked straight ahead, remanding him until later in the month.