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Residents remain unable to access homes as cordon continues

Author
Newstalk ZB staff,
Publish Date
Fri, 22 Apr 2016, 10:20am
Police are looking for Pita Rangi Tekira in relation to the incident (Photo / Supplied)

Residents remain unable to access homes as cordon continues

Author
Newstalk ZB staff,
Publish Date
Fri, 22 Apr 2016, 10:20am

UPDATED 9.29PM: 

• Police dog Gazza shot and killed in Porirua
• Police officer injured after jumping from second storey of house
• Manhunt ongoing for Pita Rangi Te Kira
• Part of the Cannons Creek suburb in lockdown

• Horouta Marae on Whitford Brown Avenue available for those who cannot get into their homes

Many residents are unable to return to their homes in the Kokiri Crescent area of Waitangirua in Porirua tonight as police say they are continuing to negotiate with an armed wanted man who is holed up in a house there.

The man, believed to be Pita Rangi Te Kira, shot a police dog dead this morning and then chased an officer who had to jump out of a second-storey window.

READ: Police dog Gazza's legacy will live on

Police were after Te Kira for cutting off his electronic monitoring bracelet in Hawke's Bay earlier this month.

29-year-old bail absconder Te Kira was facing 11 charges, including dishonestly, driving, and violence.

Reporter Jimmy Ellingham is there and said armed police remain at the cordon.

He said while some residents are allowed to pass through, many are being turned away to a local marae or to stay with relatives for the night.

Local community member and helper at the Horouta Marae, Pania Houkamau-Ngaheu, says there is a large number of families at the marae.

She said the marae is part of the community so they have opened up the marae and that includes feeding everybody stranded because of the cordon.

Ms Houkamau-Ngaheu said around 35 families are at the marae. 

Police Association vice president Craig Tickelpenny said it was the kind of shock incident police officers always have to be prepared for.

"I suppose these officers would have done their appreciation prior to getting in the property and done a risk assessment on that."

Mr Tickelpenny told Larry Williams the officer has serious injuries but he is recovering.

LISTEN ABOVE: NZ Police Association vice president Craig Tickelpenny talks to Larry Williams

"I've been to see the officer obviously he's in a serious condition but he's stable and talking with family and friends."

The officer received fractures to the right side of his body.

He said the death of the dog will be difficult for his master.

"There's a close friendship. They work together very closely in partnership, so yes, I think it would be a very upsetting time for the officer."

District Commander Superintendent Sam Hoyle said it's been a harrowing day for the injured officer and his family, the handler of the police dog killed in action, and the wider police force.

He said armed police are clearing houses as they go - and they ask that people stay away from the Waitangirua area.

“I’m absolutely confident we’re going to find him.

“We’ll be in Waitangirua until we’ve captured him or someone brings him in.”

Today’s events will be the subject of a “thorough criminal investigation, and also a police practice, policy and procedure investigation”, Mr Hoyle said.

The Commissioner of police Mike Bush expressed his strong support for the staff involved in today's tragic incident.

 

Labour's acting Police spokesman Kelvin Davis is urging Te Kira to surrender to police and hopes he will come to his senses soon.

"I sincerely hope that he sees the folly in his ways and gives up and hands himself over to police before anyone else gets hurt."

Mr Davis said the public should be on alert.

"Keep an eye out for this guy, to cooperate with Police as much as they can. My thoughts go out to the police man who had to jump out of that building. If a guy was chasing at me with a gun I would certainly do the same thing."

Earlier this evening, police said they were negotiating with a person of interest in the Kokiri Cres area and roads remain closed for public safety.

Police staff visited an address in Kokiri Crescent this morning looking for a person they wanted to arrest.

While there, Te Kira presented a firearm, and shot and killed the police dog.

Police staff, including the Armed Offenders Squad, were searching for the offender, who left the residential property and was reported to be armed.

They were hoping to speak with Te Kira in relation to the incident and were asking for his family and friends to contact police.

They warned the public not to approach him and to contact police immediately on 111.

They also advised the public to stay away from the area around Kokiri Crescent.

Local day care facilities went into lock down as a precautionary measure.

A Housing New Zealand spokeswoman confirmed the property was one of theirs.

However she said there'd be no further comment at this stage as it was a police matter.

Porirua mayor Nick Leggett said everybody was very concerned that the alleged culprit was at large.

"People on the ground are, from what I understand, staying safe and being sensible and we're just hoping, you know, to support the police in a very quick resolution to this.

The police had been excellent in communicating with the community, he said.

"Obviously Porirua people are watching this with a degree of nervousness and concern and we're just hoping that the injured police officer is okay and we're sending our thoughts to his family."

Mr Leggett said Porirua was a resilient place and coped with things that occurred.

"This is more of a shock than anything else. We're hoping that it resolves itself pretty quickly and that nobody else is injured or worse."

The community was being advised to stay safe, keep a low profile and report anything suspicious, he said.

A witness was driving on State Highway 1 when he saw around 20 police cars speed past, heading north of Porirua.

"Just heading towards Whitby, a lot of squad cars and certainly some armed offender [squad] cars going north," he said.

Another witness said: "They are at the top of Loongana Street, Waitangirua, and the actual police are carrying guns as well.

"It's all up that area so everyone's been diverted down Whitford Brown [Ave]."

She said she could see at least seven officers and eight police cars.

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