Good Samaritan helps officers under attack

Roger Stenning. Photo / Otago Daily Times

The man who came to the aid of two police officers attacked in Alexandra on Friday night says he is not a hero and would do it again.

Bar manager Roger Stenning said he did not have time to think about whether to help Senior Constable Michael Colligan and Constable Toni Velenski, who he said had their hands full dealing with 21-year-old unemployed Alexandra man Peter James Deihl, who was suspected of damaging a police car.

"I could see they were struggling, so I just jumped in to give them a hand. It's just one of those things that happens. It was nothing, really," the 49-year-old Cromwell man said.

The officers had used pepper spray on Deihl but it had little effect, Mr Stenning said.

"He had the policewoman by the hair, with her face pinned on the road. He'd hit her pretty bloody hard. I just tried to do what I could to get her released. I know police are trained for that sort of thing but she didn't deserve that sort of treatment.

"I don't like to see women being hit by men."

Mr Stenning praised the actions of one of Deihl's friends.

"In the end, he did a very good job of calming him down."

The police area commander for rural Otago, Inspector Mike Cook, said that if Mr Stenning had not stepped in the situation could have got much worse.

"It's fantastic people are prepared to step up to the mark," Mr Cook said. "A far more serious assault could have resulted if he hadn't."

The incident happened while the two officers were making a routine visit to an Alexandra hotel about 11.20pm.

While there, they were told a police patrol car had been damaged. The officers went looking for the person thought to be responsible for the damage.

The man was initially co-operative but later "he changed his tune", Mr Cook said.

Ms Velenski received a substantial blow to the head during the struggle, and Mr Colligan was hit in the jaw and bitten on the arm, Mr Cook said. It is alleged Mr Stenning was also assaulted.

Deihl entered no plea to charges of injuring with intent, assaulting a police officer, assaulting a person assisting police, intentional damage of a police car and resisting arrest when he appeared in the Dunedin District Court on Saturday.

He was remanded in custody by justices of the peace Don Kay and Ngaire Duke to appear tomorrow.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES