Ten cops shot at during Auckland motorway chase

Traffic was stopped by police on the Northern Motorway in Albany. Photo: Supplied via NZ Herald
Traffic was stopped by police on the Northern Motorway in Albany. Photo: Supplied via NZ Herald
Two men have been arrested after at least 10 police officers were shot at during a car chase in Auckland earlier today.

Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Tusha Penny said a member of the public also reported a further shot being fired in their direction during the chase.

"We are extremely lucky that we are not in the middle of a homicide investigation," she told media gathered at a press conference this afternoon.

She said "at least 10 police staff were put in jeopardy" along with members of the public.

"When I say police staff, these are mums and dads, sons and daughters, who come to work every day and put on this uniform ... to protect people they've never met before."

Penny said she could not stress enough how cowardly these acts were as police were fired upon on six different occasions.

A man found himself at the centre of a police chase as a vehicle fleeing police pulled up behind him before firing a shotgun in the air.

The man who spoke, to the Herald anonymously said he was travelling on State Highway 20 southbound when he noticed a gold Audi approaching him at speeds in excess of 160kmh.

"A car came up behind me and a car came up travelling at least 160kmh.

"It was swerving in and out of traffic. I thought this is a bit bloody dangerous."

He was in the right-hand lane and there were two clear lanes to the left of him, but instead of overtaking him on a left-hand lane they slammed on the brakes and stayed behind him.

He then noticed the car was trying to overtake him by sliding into the median strip on the right hand side.

"They braked hard to get behind me then tried to pass on my driver side. Then I steered a little bit [to the right] to suggest they would damage my car," he said.

"At that point the passenger started firing a shotgun across the motorway. They shot it out the passenger window."

With some six years of military experience, the man assumed the person shooting the shotgun was right-handed and would have to fire across the driver to have a chance of hurting him.

So he decided it was safer to stay where he was in the far-right lane.

The fleeing vehicle eventually overtook his car and sped away, and a few moments later he saw police in the rear view mirror and a police helicopter heading north.

Traffic is now free flowing and motorists are reminded to drive safely this weekend.

 

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