Man shot in second night of gang battle

Press, 12 November 1977, Page 2

Man shot in second night of gang battle

PA Wellington A man was shot by what is thought to have been a high-powered slug gun during a gang confrontation outside a Wellington tavern on Thursday evening. A fight had broken out and about 48 glasses and 12 Jugs smashed. About 30 policemen were promptly on the scene.

The injured man, Mr P. M. Harrison, of Ngaio, was reported in a satisfactory condition in Wellington Hospital yesterday. The incident came only a day after a man was

stabbed in a fight at the same tavern, the Royal Tiger, in Taranaki Street. The assistant manager of the tavern (Mr L. Tungatt) said the police had told the manager that another fight might occur after Wednesday’s in« cident. “Last night’s fight was a result of the stabbing on Wednesday night,” he said. “Members of the Highway 61 gang came back to retaliate against members of the Satan’s

Slaves.” “It was a Highway 61 member who was stabbed on Wednesday night,” Mr Tungatt said. “We were told by the police there would be a good-sized brawl fn which

they expected firearms to be produced.” About 8.15 pun., six or eight Highway 61 gang members had arrived.

“There were about three or four Satan’s Slaves members in the public bar,” said Mr Tungatt. Highway 61 members had been banned from the tavern.

“From what I heard, two Highway 61 members were sent up to Northland to start a diversionary fight, and a lot of police had been sent up there.”

The police have yet to establish what type of missile had been fired and from what type of weapon it had been fired.

No arrest has yet been made.