Street brawl to welcome new year

New Year's Day in a Flaxmere street began with a street brawl involving three men, a garden rake and an air rifle.

Two of the men arrested at the Dover St property about 9am Friday are facing assault charges, while another male was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital.

The male, aged in his late teens, had a moderate injury with his fingers lacerated but still attached.

He was in a stable condition and remained at hospital overnight. Detective Sergeant Darren Pritchard said an investigation was under way and police did not yet know the cause of the brawl. Police did not know if any further charges would be laid against the two men.

Dover St residents said the males had been fighting in the street for a while before police had arrived.

Some reported seeing a pitchfork involved but police instead believed it had been a garden rake.

Residents said while the men were fighting one of them entered a residential property and returned with an air rifle.

Mr Pritchard said while the air rifle was involved there had been no shots fired.

During the brawl residents reported seeing one of the men jumping on a car parked outside the property.

It had damage caused previously, including multiple shattered windows and burnt out tyres, but residents thought the smashed windscreen might have been as a result of the incident.