Two officers were hit by their own tactical sprays in an incident in Hamilton yesterday. Photo / Supplied
Two officers were hit by their own tactical sprays in an incident in Hamilton yesterday. Photo / Supplied
Two police officers were hit with their own tactical sprays while trying to arrest a fleeing man at a Hamilton supermarket.
Police were called to Te Rapa New World around 3pm yesterday and two officers tried to arrest a man inside. He resisted and police say one officer then triedto use a gel tactical spray on the man in an attempt to detain him.
Not only was this unsuccessful, but the officer themselves was also hit by it.
The man then ran out of the supermarket, with the other officer giving chase.
While trying to apprehend the man outside, the second officer attempted to use a tactical spray but this too was ineffective and that officer also suffered "blow-back" from it.
The man attempted to get into the passenger seat of a car at the scene before being arrested by other officers.
A local courier driver filmed the incident as it unfolded.
The man, who did want to be identified, said a supermarket employee assisted a police officer in arresting a man.
"After that I heard the officer scream very loudly, so I stopped filming and the man ran away.
"I wanted to chase after him but I was afraid,"
"He was later arrested within 10 minutes," he said.
Police say a 48-year-old man is expected to face charges including assaulting police and resisting officers.
Two officers were hit by their own tactical sprays in an incident in Hamilton yesterday. Photo / supplied
The incident follows a female police officer being knocked unconscious in a vicious attack in a Manurewa street that was caught on video by a shocked bystander.
The incident took place on the corner of Great South and Station Rds on Monday at 12.17pm.
The man was Tasered after fleeing from police on foot and assaulting the officer.
"The officer involved was knocked unconscious during this incident, and is now off work recovering. She is being well supported by her colleagues," police said in a statement this week.
