Crowd confronts officers after crash

Press, 4 March 1989, Page 3

Crowd confronts officers after crash

By

RICHARD CRESSWELL

Two carloads of people confronted nine traffic officers after a crash in Barbour Street off Ferry Road on Thursday evening. Four officers in two cars had been to an accident in Ferry Road and one car stopped to help at Barbour Street, where a car had run off the road and hit a power pole about 11.30 p.m. A man was arrested in connection with the Ferry Road accident and taken back to base by the other patrol car. While the two officers were interviewing the driver and the passenger in Barbour Street, the driver allegedly punched an officer in the chest. The driver was arrested and struggled with the officers, when a carload of persons, allegedly known to the driver, stopped at the scene about 11.30 p.m. Two more officers were called and

when they arrived, they were spat at by someone who ran off. Senior-Sergeant Geoffrey Scott, of the Ministry of Transport, said the officers chased a man who was arrested and later charged with assault. The officers then called for more help and two more patrol cars were sent. The arrested driver was handcuffed and placed in the patrol car, he said. The seven officers were then faced with an unruly crowd of bystanders. A further plea for help went out and Senior-Sergeant Scott and the only other staff member at the base went to the scene. “Our arrival finally defused the situation,” he said. Three people are expected to appear in the District Court next week on charges including assaulting a traffic officer, disqualified driving and resisting arrest.