Man in custody after five police officers injured in Lower Hutt

Three police vehicles were significantly damaged in Lower Hutt. Photo / Hayden Woodward

• Police arrested a 49-year-old man after vehicles were rammed in Epuni, Lower Hutt.
• Three police vehicles and a public vehicle were hit, injuring five officers.
• A man faces charges of aggravated assault, indecent assault and failing to stop for police.

Five police staff were injured after vehicles were rammed in the Lower Hutt suburb of Epuni this evening.

Police were called to Trinity Ave at 5.25pm after receiving a report of suspicious behaviour.

Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said police noticed a vehicle of interest leaving the area and signalled it to stop.

Instead it drove into the police vehicle and then into two other police vehicles that arrived to help.

A member of the public’s vehicle was also struck. Fortunately, the person was not injured.

A man then tried to flee on foot but was apprehended by police around 5.45pm.

Parnell said three police vehicles were significantly damaged, and five police staff suffered minor injuries in the collisions.

“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,” Parnell said.

“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.”

A 49-year-old man is set to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court tomorrow facing three charges of aggravated assault, a charge of indecent assault, and failing to stop for police.

Police are continuing their investigations, and further charges have not been ruled out.

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