Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Two men appearing in court following fleeing driver incident

Acting Inspector Rob Huys, Area Commander for Whangarei/Kaipara:

Northland Police are aware of footage circulating on social media showing a man being arrested over the weekend in Whangarei by a Police officer with the assistance of a police dog.

In the early hours of Sunday 17th November, a Police dog handler was proactively patrolling in known areas where there is currently an increased risk of crime.

At around 3am, the officer spotted a suspicious vehicle in Otangarei and signalled for the vehicle to pull over.

The driver of the Audi vehicle allegedly failed to stop for Police and a short pursuit commenced.

The vehicle came to a stop a short time later on William Jones Drive and the officer was able to block the Audi with his Police vehicle.

The officer, who was alone at the time, requested back up and approached the vehicle, however the two occupants refused orders to exit the vehicle.

The occupants appeared to be reaching for weapons inside the vehicle and the officer subsequently used pepper spray on the two men.

Another Police officer quickly arrived at the scene and the passenger in the vehicle was removed and apprehended without further incident.

The driver continued to refuse orders to exit the vehicle before he was eventually removed by Police.

He then ran from our staff and attempted to flee the scene.

The alleged offender was apprehended by the dog handler with the assistance of their Police dog, who bit the man’s arm, however he continued to resist arrest while on the ground.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Once the alleged offender was safely apprehended, immediate medical assistance was given to him for treatment for dog bites.

A search of the vehicle at the scene by Police allegedly uncovered a quantity of methamphetamine and weapons including a machete.

The alleged driver, a 31-year-old male who had an active warrant for his arrest, was charged with a number of offences including failing to stop, driving while disqualified, refusing to give blood specimen and possession of an offensive weapon.

He is due to appear in the Whangarei District Court tomorrow.

A 28-year-old man is next due to appear in the Whangarei District Court on 25th November facing methamphetamine charges as well as possession of an offensive weapon.

Acting Inspector Rob Huys says Police commend the brave actions displayed by the dog handler, who with the assistance of his dog and another officer, successfully apprehended two alleged offenders.

“This was a volatile, unpredictable situation involving an offender who allegedly possessed a weapon, displayed concerning behaviour and attempted to flee from Police in his vehicle and then again on foot.

“The officer did what was necessary to successfully apprehend the alleged offender with the assistance of his police dog and I applaud him for his actions at the scene.

“As is often the case, the footage on social media only shows a small part of the entire incident and doesn’t illustrate the alleged offender’s actions before being apprehended, nor does it show the risk faced by our officer at the scene.

“I also want to acknowledge that our officers ensured that immediate first aid was made available for the alleged offender who received dog bites.

“I want to reassure the Northland community that Police officers are working hard each and every day to keep the public safe.

We also reiterate that if you are ever signalled to pull over by Police, please do so immediately, to avoid creating further unnecessary risk to yourselves, our police officers and the general public.”


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.