Friday, 25 May 2018 - 4:06pm |
Southern

Police appeal for information after officer injured in Queenstown

1 min read

Please attribute to Inspector Olaf Jensen, Otago Lakes Area Commander

Queenstown Police would like to hear from anyone with information on an incident at a local camp ground last night in which a Police officer received large lacerations to his arm from a knife. 

Police were at the Mann Street Campground around 11.30pm on an unrelated matter when one of the attending officers spotted a man behaving suspiciously outside a cabin close by.

The officer approached the man who immediately fled on foot towards Thompson Street, then west on Thompson Street refusing orders to stop.

The officer managed to grab the man’s arm as he climbed over a fence on Thompson Street above Brunswick Street, dislodging a knife from the man’s grip.

The man then fell down the other side of the fence onto Brunswick Street and fled towards the Queenstown CBD.  

After returning to the police vehicle the officer realised he had received two large lacerations to his arm, and returned to the fence to find a large kitchen knife left behind.

The officer received eight stitches. 

This is a serious incident involving a member of our staff who sustained injury while performing his duty to protect the public.

No officer expects to come to work and become injured in this way, and we want to hold this offender to account.

The offender is described as being 170-180cm tall and was wearing a dark beanie, a dark long-sleeved hoodie and dark pants.

Any information can be passed onto Detective Lisa Watt at Queenstown Police on (03) 4714800, or alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre