More details have emerged about the incident in which three Dunedin officers needed first aid after being exposed to pepper spray.
The 67-year-old got involved in the situation as he was under the belief that police were not allowed to speak to teenagers, Sergeant Matt Lee, of Dunedin, said.
Police were called to George St at 3.40pm yesterday after reports of 20 teenagers fighting outside the McDonald’s.
The group fled but officers caught up with them in nearby Hanover St.
The 67-year-old man, who was not known to any of the youths, then began to intervene, Sgt Lee said.
He was warned multiple times that he was obstructing police and was told to move away or else he would be placed under arrest, Sgt Lee said.
In response, he pushed an officer and began to resist police.
Despite multiple warnings, he continued the behaviour pepper spray was deployed.
In the chaos, the man and three police officers were hit with the spray.
The four fell to the ground, and despite being pepper sprayed, the man managed to grab an officer around the neck and allegedly began strangling them.
Other police units arrived and the man was arrested, Sgt Lee said.
The man was charged with obstructing police, resisting police, assaulting police and impeding breathing/blood circulation.
He would appear in Dunedin District Court at a later date.
The three police officers received first aid treatment.
