A man wanted by police on several arrest warrants led Napier officers on a 50-minute pursuit over central city rooftops early today -- at one stage threatening to jump before eventually being pepper-sprayed and overpowered.
The 23-year-old managed to break through police cordons as well as find his way onto rooftopsand verandas along Marine Parade, Hastings Street and Tennyson Street.
The pursuit began just after 2am when an officer on night patrol in Hastings Street spotted and recognised the man as being wanted on five warrants of arrest as well as breach of parole charges.
The man ran off and was chased on foot back toward Hastings Street where he managed to scale up a verandah and onto a rooftop.
After a short dash along the rooftops he jumped back down onto the stretch of shopfront verandas.
"We tried to pepper spray him but he was too far away," Sergeant Mal Lochrie said.
The man was next spotted atop a two-storied building.
Seemingly cornered, he yelled to police below that he would jump.
Police kept him talking but he took off again, this time scaling down ledges and across more rooftops before reappearing on the Marine Parade again.
Two officers were then able to spray and subdue him.
The man was scheduled to appear in Napier District Court today to face the outstanding charges.
