Wounded officer recovering

SCENE OF THE CRIME: Kaitaia's Puriri Place, normally the quietest of cul de sacs.

One arrest but attacker still sought after stabbing in Kaitaia street

Police are still hunting the person who stabbed a police officer in Kaitaia on Monday night.

At edition time yesterday one arrest had been made, of 17-year-old Waitai Miru, Kaitaia, on charges of unlawfully getting into a vehicle and breaching bail. He appeared before the Kaitaia District Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody until Wednesday next week.

Meanwhile the officer was admitted to Kaitaia Hospital then transferred to Whangarei. He was discharged on Tuesday, and is now recovering at home.

Police have not released details of his injuries or the weapon used.

The attack occurred at around 9.30pm, when police were called to Puriri Place, where three men were seen acting suspiciously around a vehicle that was confirmed as reported stolen. Far North Area Commander Inspector Wendy Robilliard said two officers spoke with three men who had been seen putting petrol in the car.

When one of the officers attempted to arrest one of the men he was struck in the head. The officer tried to restrain the offender, the other officer stepping in to assist while trying to stop the other two from intervening. The offender managed to break free from the injured officer, who then realised he had been stabbed, and the offender ran off with the others.

A police dog was called to the scene but was unable to locate the offender. Police also conducted area inquiries, and found the teenager they suspected of being involved at a nearby address. He had been present at the address an hour earlier when police checked that he was complying with his bail conditions.

The focus now was on locating the person who assaulted the officer. A scene examination was completed on Tuesday, and the stolen vehicle had been taken for forensic examination.

Meanwhile a 78-year-old Puriri Place resident said she saw two males running towards her, heading to the end of the road.

"There was still kerfuffle going on there, and another guy ran past me going like the clappers - he couldn't get past me fast enough - and I said, 'What the hell are you little bastards up to?' as he ran past me," she said.

"And then I saw there were two guys [further down the road] and one was trying to get one off the ground. They tried and tried to get him up. I thought, 'At least somebody's with him so they can call whoever for help.' So I didn't run to help in case there was more trouble."

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the incident served as a graphic reminder of how routine jobs could escalate due to the "violent, unpredictable" people officers dealt with.

"It's that unknown risk that is ever-present, and can catch out even the most experienced officers," he said.