Crimeline - cop head locked at concert
Police officer cops it with headlock and hot chips, innocent passer-by gets punched in the face, car burglars strike, firefighters rescue injured mountain biker and rescue helicopters have been all a whirl this past week.
Arresting officer cops it
A Police officer was allegedly placed in a headlock at the Gibbston concert by one of two aggressive Canterbury males, who jumped on his back while he was arresting a female in their group for throwing hot chips at him.
Constable Amanda Shute says Police were alerted to two aggressive males being removed from the concert just before 4pm on Saturday, 18 January, after being refused alcohol service. Two further female family members were also removed a short time later, one allegedly throwing the hot chips at the officer while being escorted.
During the arrest of the female one of the males allegedly jumped on the back of the Police officer and placed him in a headlock, Shute says. One of the other females then became involved causing all involved to fall to the ground.
A 26-year-old man and two females, aged 22 and 24, were arrested and charged with assaulting Police. They appeared in the Queenstown District Court on 20 January and have been remanded on bail until 4 April.
Vicious unprovoked downtown assault
A 39-year-old local man was charged with injuring with intent to injure and resisting Police after an alleged unprovoked assault on a member of the public in Queenstown Mall at 12.20am on Friday, 17 January.
Shute says the man allegedly verbally abused Police and refused to follow Police instruction, physically pulling and pushing away from officers who were placing him under arrest. The victim sustained a split left lip which required stitches, and two teeth were loosened.
The man was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Queenstown District Court on Friday, 17 January, and will reappear in court on 10 February.
Vehicles broken into at Frankton
Police would like to hear from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious after three vehicles were broken into in Riverside Road, Frankton, around 3am to 3.30am on Friday, 17 January. Shute says the back rear windows of the vehicles were smashed in and there were signs that a driver’s door handle had been tampered with. Nothing was taken from the vehicles.
Mountain biker takes big fall
Emergency services have noticed an increase in mountain biking accidents with more people seemingly getting out enjoying local trails and bike parks this summer.
Queenstown Volunteer firefighters were called in to assist after a young male mountain biker took a big drop of some distance off the Tiki Trail on Skyline Hill around 2.30pm to 3pm on Monday, 20 January.
Fire and Emergency Otago Lakes Group assistant commander Nic McQuillan says four firefighters assisted with a Stokes basket (special stretcher) to bring the man down to a waiting St John Ambulance. A St John spokesperson says one ambulance and one helicopter responded and the patient was airlifted to Lakes District Hospital with minor injuries.
Heli-rescues
Emergency services and the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter have been kept busy this past week with some nine other local callouts to the region, including a rescue off the Dart-Rees Track, north of Glenorchy on Saturday, 18 January. A spokesman for Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre says they received a personal locator beacon alert from a party of four on the track with a Queenstown helicopter dispatched to assist. One patient with minor injuries and their parent were flown to Lakes District Hospital for further treatment.
A St John spokesperson says a helicopter also transported a patient (no condition available) after an incident near Mount Earnslaw at 2.45pm on Tuesday, 21 January. A patient was also airlifted to Lakes District Hospital after another incident near Mount Earnslaw at 12.51pm the day before (20 January). No condition was available. Rescue helicopters also responded to accidents in Arrowtown, Coronet Peak and Queenstown last week.
Drink driving
A 34-year-old male in Frankton allegedly blew 517mcgs/l breath on 20 January. He was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol – third or subsequent and summonsed to appear in Queenstown District Court on 31 January.
Two drivers were caught at the Gibbston concert drink drive checkpoint on 18 January. A 46-year-old man allegedly blew 600mcg/l breath and elected blood test, and a 41-year-old female tourist blew 400mcg/l breath and was issued with an infringement notice.
