Stolen car driver assaulted by angry mob, police officer injured in Horowhenua

A stolen ute crashed into parked cars in Shannon, which abruptly interrupted a Matariki celebration and led to a violent brawl involving kicks and punches.

It left the car driver injured and arrested, and a police officer with a head injury.

The local mob apprehended the offender on Grey St after the ute they were driving hit “a number of parked cars” outside a Matariki event at the local Memorial Hall.

A local, who Stuff will not name to protect them, said the car hit other cars parked in the middle of the street, which acted as a buffer to protect the kids and the people that were celebrating the holiday.

“All of a sudden this car came flying around the corner and all I heard was an impact, so I run outside, and I think the guy got two steps out of the vehicle then the locals got him,” they said.

They said it was just a blur and the vehicle was “hoofing it”.

When the person tried to flee the scene after crashing, he was beaten “en masse” by angry people, said the person who witnessed the brawl from close range.

Then a police officer got between the mob and the driver, rescuing him, but the officer was injured.

“When the first couple of guys got in, I stepped forward, then more people came in and I realised it was out of control. So I just stayed back.

“When I next saw [the offender] he had his pants around his knees and blood coming from his face.

“He was pretty badly beaten, there were kicks and fists going on,” they said

“It was not just one or two people … It was just en masse.”

The incident happened outside the Memorial Hall on Grey St where Matariki celebrations were being held, near the Shannon Primary School.

They said it was a miracle there were no fatalities.

“The only reason he didn’t hit [anyone] was because some of the cars were parked in the middle of the road.

“If they hadn’t been there, he would have gone straight into [the event],” they said.

Another person who lived nearby said, “locals around here don’t take kindly to these types of people, so they went and apprehended them … Especially since there were kids at the event.”

A reporter on the scene said there were “several police officers” on the scene and a lot of people were gathered on the street.

Horowhenua District Council chief executive Monique Davidson said it was a sad incident, as the community was coming together for the “joyous and special Matariki event”.

The celebration was stained by the actions of an individual, she said in a statement.

In a Facebook post, Horowhenua District Council, which was the host of the event, had initially invited people to stay inside.

“There is an ongoing police incident unfolding in Shannon. For the time being, please stay inside if you are local to the area.

“Matariki celebrations in Shannon have been cancelled,” it said.

Hato Hone St John spokesperson Siobhan Campbell said they sent two ambulances, a rapid response unit and a management unit.

“We assessed and treated one patient in a minor condition at the scene,” she said.

A police spokesperson said around 12.30pm police spotted a stolen vehicle in Foxton.

The vehicle was not pursued. Instead, a plan was put in place for road spikes to be used in Shannon, but the vehicle avoided them.

However, metres up the road it hit a “number of parked vehicles” that were outside the Memorial Hall.

“It then collided with a stationary vehicle in the middle of Grey Street in Shannon, where community were together at an event celebrating Matariki.

“An officer suffered a head injury while attempting to apprehend the driver of the offending vehicle.

“The driver is now in Police custody, and the Police officer is receiving medical attention.”