Firefighter hurt trying to stop attack on wheelchair man

Photo / APN

A firefighter has been hurt while trying to stop an intoxicated attacker punching and strangling a wheelchair-bound man in Palmerston North.

Emergency services were called to a couch fire in an empty section on Carroll St at about 8:15pm last night.

Palmerston North station officer Kerry Williams said while extinguishing the blaze, he and a colleague heard abuse shouted from a neighbouring property.

They went to investigate and found an intoxicated man, who was known to police, attacking a man in a wheelchair, he said.

"He was just absolutely laying into a guy in a wheelchair. He was trying to strangle the guy."

The firefighters wrestled the attacker away from the wheelchair-bound man and stayed with him until he calmed down.

However, once they turned their backs he began punching the man in the head again, Mr Williams said.

Mr Williams received a blow to the jaw while trying to restrain the man.

"I came out of it with a sore jaw.

"If we weren't there I don't know what happened. This guy in the wheelchair - this guy he was just laying into him. He was trying to hurt him. It's worrying."

Mr Williams and his colleague eventually got the wheelchair-bound man back inside his house.

The intoxicated attacker escaped before police arrived to investigate, he said.