A Tauranga man is due in court this morning after a police pursuit through the city overnight.
Everything unfolded when police signaled for a vehicle to pull over on Hewletts Road around 10.45pm.
'It failed to do so and was pursued by police, but due to the manner of driving the pursuit was immediately abandoned,” says a police spokesperson.
Road spikes were deployed near the Bayfair roundabout and the car was again pursued along Maunganui Road.
The car slowed and rammed the police car.
'On Matapihi Road, the driver rammed a second police car. Road spikes were again deployed and while travelling at slow speed, the driver again attempted several times to ram a police car.
'The driver then stopped the car and the passengers ran off on foot.”
Police say the passengers allegedly stole a second vehicle and attempted to flee the scene in the stolen vehicle.
'They were blocked in by police and the occupants were arrested.
'Four police cars were damaged in the incident, but fortunately no police staff were injured.”
A 36-year-old man is scheduled to appear in Tauranga District Court this morning on a number of charges relating to this incident, including failing to stop, reckless driving, aggravated assault and endangering transport.
4 comments
any police cars left
Posted on 17-01-2020 09:10 | By dave4u
Time the police cars had bull bars front and rear to stop being rammed and then the drivers need to learn how to spin the car in front like the yanks do on their bullbars
Police negligence.
Posted on 17-01-2020 12:10 | By Neville Wilson
How come the police let four of their cars get rammed? This happens far too often at the tax payers expense. I know that we have to get these louts off the road, but not at such cost.
Quite a night...
Posted on 17-01-2020 12:44 | By morepork
… for all concerned. Thankfully, nobody was injured. Police should be commended for containing this dangerous threat under difficult conditions. Ramming Police (or any other) vehicles should be considered "assault with a deadly weapon" (cars are deadly when used this way...)
@Neville Wilson
Posted on 22-01-2020 20:47 | By morepork
Why would you blame the police? "Tax payer's expense"? The cost of repairs to 4 cars is a lot less than letting these lunatics run riot until they kill someone. I honestly don't believe that police drivers "allow" criminals to ram them; I'm pretty sure they would take all reasonable measures to ensure they were NOT rammed. If someone drives a vehicle into you, there is not much you can do about it.
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