Offender arrested after fleeing from Police

Location: Tauranga
District: Bay Of Plenty

A 27 year old man is in Police custody this morning after fleeing when a Police vehicle attempted to stop the vehicle he was driving at 12.20am on Monday the 21st of November.

Police attempted to stop the vehicle on Cameron Rd, Tauranga when the driver failed to stop and a pursuit followed.

The driver was known to Police and had numerous outstanding warrants to arrest relating to family violence and robbery.

The vehicle was pursued from Tauranga to Mount Maunganui where Police abandoned the pursuit on Hewlett's Road due to the reckless speed exhibited by the driver.

Police began a search phase to look for the vehicle within the Mount Maunganui Area. The vehicle was located on Valley Rd where the driver rammed a police vehicle three times before again fleeing on Maunganui Rd.

The pursuit was re-instigated and the vehicle was spiked in the Te Maunga area using road spikes.

The vehicle was followed on State Highway 2 and into Papamoa where the vehicle stopped at the end of Papamoa Beach Road. The driver fled from the vehicle but was soon apprehended.

“The decision whether or not to pursue a driver who fails to stop remains a complex one and must be made quickly, and under pressure with the risks to the safety of the driving Public, the fleeing driver and the involved Police constantly being re-assessed ", says Acting Sergeant Wayne Lambert.
"In this instance the pursuit was brought to a safe conclusion, a testament to the skill of committed, trained police officers and communications centre staff. The community is now safer without this individual at large."

The male will be appearing in the Tauranga District Court on Monday the 21st of November facing additional charges of Disqualified Driving, Failing to Stop, Reckless Driving, and three counts of Assault with a Weapon.

Wayne Lambert
Acting Senior Sergeant
Tauranga Police

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