Traffic officers handcuff man

Press, 12 June 1984, Page 4

Traffic officers handcuff man

PA Auckland Newly issued handcuffs saved two Auckland traffic officers from serious injury when a man went berserk and threatened to “blow them away” at the weekend. It took four officers to hold down the man in the first incident where handcuffs have been used in Auckland. Chief Inspector Vern Dawson, of the Auckland City Council’s traffic department, said the man was stopped as a suspected drinking driver in the early hours of Saturday morning. “He threatened to blow the officers away and said he had a .45 pistol,” he said. The man reached down as if to pick up the weapon, but his hand was pushed away by the officers.

He lunged at a bottle to fight them off, then grabbed a tyre lever, Mr Dawson said, but was foiled in both attacks. The officers finally managed to take a breath test, which was positive, but the offender leapt back into his car, only to have the keys snatched from the ignition before he could drive off. “Then he just went berserk and attacked them,” he said. “He was extremely violent and they had to call for assistance. Four men held him down so the handcuffs could be slapped on.” Mr Dawson said the handcuffs had protected both the officers from injury and saved the man from facing additional serious charges. A man has been charged with failing to accompany an arresting officer.