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Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
Five young people remain on the roof of Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice Residence in Wiri.
A stand-off between armed teenagers on the roof of a youth justice facility in Auckland and the authorities has entered its second day.
A group of five young people have been on the rooftop since at least 12.40pm on Saturday, when police were called to the incident at Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice Residence in Wiri.
Speaking on Sunday morning, Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive Mike Bush said the youths “spent the night on the roof and within its cavity”.
A “large contingent of police” have been trying to de-escalate the situation, Bush said on Saturday night.
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“Our priority is the safety of these young people, and we are managing this situation with extreme caution, especially with the wet weather forecast overnight.”
He said he was on the site leading the operation overnight, which also involved one Fire and Emergency New Zealand unit.
“We are practising safe and reasonable negotiation tactics and working to deescalate the situation.
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
The remaining five young people spent the night on the roof and within its cavity.
“The young people are within the boundary of the facility and there is no risk to public safety.”
He said the group, which at one stage increased to eight young people, forced their way out of a unit and up onto the roof area of the facility.
They could be seen on the roof of the facility, armed with pipes and bits of metal.
One appeared to have what looked like blood on his clothing, while police could be seen at the facility gates attempting to talk to the people on the roof.
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
One Fire and Emergency New Zealand unit joined a “large contingent” of police officers working to de-escalate the situation overnight.
The incident comes just a week after a dangerous day-long standoff between police and a group of teenagers at Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo in Burnham.
Stuff understands a group of five teenagers took a set of keys from a guard in a unit at the facility, escaped to the roof and refused to come down.
KFC was reportedly used to negotiate with the teenagers, who were given the fast food after they surrendered.
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