A 49-year-old man is due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court tomorrow following a dramatic incident in Lower Hutt this evening that left multiple police officers injured and several vehicles damaged.
At around 5:25pm, Wellington District Police responded to a report of suspicious behaviour on Trinity Avenue in Epuni. A vehicle of interest was spotted leaving the area, but when officers attempted to stop it, the driver allegedly rammed into a police car and then collided with two more units that arrived for support.
The fleeing vehicle also struck a member of the public’s car, though no injuries were reported in that case. The suspect then exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot before being taken into custody at approximately 5:45pm.
Three police vehicles sustained significant damage during the incident. Five police officers were assessed for minor injuries.
“Our staff go to work every day to help make our communities safer, and behaviour such as this where police staff and vehicles are targeted is unacceptable,” said a police spokesperson. “I am incredibly proud of the work from our staff in this quick-moving event where a vehicle was used as a weapon against police, creating a massive risk to the safety of everybody involved.”
The man faces three charges of aggravated assault, one charge of indecent assault, and one charge of failing to stop for police. Authorities have not ruled out additional charges as the investigation continues.