A Bay of Plenty police officer has assaulted a person known to them while off duty.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) oversaw a police investigation following a complaint.

However, the investigation found it was not in the public interest to proceed with a criminal prosecution.

The police pursued a restorative process with the officer instead, who successfully completed all conditions.

A separate employment investigation found the officer’s behaviour constituted serious misconduct.

The IPCA was satisfied with the police’s investigation and agreed with the outcomes reached.

The IPCA gave no further details in the statement released today.