Jumping in the river in an attempt to flee from Police quickly turned to instant regret for a Whangārei woman.
At about 3.45pm on Thursday, an off duty officer spotted a woman wanted to arrest at the Whangārei Aquatic Centre.
Whangārei-Kaipara Area Commander, Inspector Maria Nordstrom, says on-duty colleagues were notified, arriving a short time later to arrest the woman.
“It was at this point the woman fled and jumped into the Hātea River in an attempt to avoid being taken into custody.”
Inspector Nordstrom says the woman swam under the bridge before a member of the public on a waka ama boat threw her a lifejacket.
“She continued swimming until she reached a moored vessel.
“Officers were transported by dinghy to the vessel where the woman was taken into custody without issue and transported back to shore.
“This incident demonstrated good coordination and communication between all Police involved, including their go with the flow attitudes, and amazing cooperation from members of the public.”
Inspector Nordstrom says the alleged offender spoke to officers once back on land, declaring she “quickly regretted” the decision once she realised how cold the water was.
“This should also serve as a reminder that there’s no use running, or swimming, our staff will find a way to ensure our community remains a safe place to live and work.”
The 44-year-old woman will appear in the Whangārei District Court today in relation to breaching release conditions.
ENDS.
Holly McKay/NZ Police