Paintball Arrests in Levin

PRESS RELEASE

27 December 2012

At about 3.30pm on Thursday the 27th of December 2012, the Levin Police were called to deal with a group of three males firing shots from a paintball gun at members of the public.

This group were in a gray/black Toyota Hilux with large wheels. They travelled from Otaki Beach to Levin and fired a paintball gun out the window of their moving vehicle.

These shots were aimed at vehicles travelling south on State Highway One.

Police have received three complaints so far, including one where the yellow paintball has hit the front windscreen of the moving vehicle.

Responding to 111 calls the Police have located the offenders in Bolton Road, Levin. A search of the vehicle found that the offenders had dismantled the gun and hidden it throughout the vehicle.

Two 14 year old Levin youths have been referred to the Horowhenua Youth Aid Section for Recklessly Discharging an Airgun.

A 20 year old Levin man, who was the driver of the vehicle, has been charged with being a Party to Recklessly Discharging an Airgun. He is due to appear in the Levin District Court on the 10th of January 2013.

The paintball gun has been seized and is likely to be destroyed.

The group have admitted to firing on 5 motor vehicles, some letterboxes and residential houses.

This kind of offending could have had fatal consequences. The paintball which hit the vehicles front windscreen could have obscured the driver's vision, causing a crash.

With the amount of traffic on the road over the Holiday period this was an incredibly stupid thing to do.

Police would like to speak to anyone who has been shot at by this group. Those affected can contact the Levin Police on (06)366-0500

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