PRESS REPORTERS
The family of a Somali man shot by police in Christchurch is offering its "collective sympathy" to all those affected by yesterday's terrifying ordeal.
A 27-year-old man yesterday abducted a truck driver and stabbed two people in Christchurch before being shot twice by police.
The Somali-born man, who was lived in Christchurch for some time, is under police guard at Christchurch Hospital.
TVNZ reported family spokesman Hassan Ibrahm as saying the family "never expected something like this to happen".
The wider Somali community said in a statement: " The family of the gentleman involved in the incident in Christchurch and the wider Somali community wish to express our collective sympathy to all affected by this incident.
"We are aware of the situation which those affected are going through and we wish them a quick recovery."
What began yesterday as an ordinary weekday morning in suburban Christchurch quickly turned into a scene of violence and bloodshed as a knife-wielding man went on a rampage before being shot by police.
Two people were stabbed – a delivery driver, who was taken hostage by the man in her truck yesterday morning, and a Christchurch City Council worker, who was in a serious but stable condition in Christchurch Hospital last night.
The food delivery driver, Marteine Robin, 36, was last night recovering at home after a stab wound in her shoulder was stitched.
The attacker's 90-minute path of violence across the city was ended by two gunshots as he continued to approach police in Hoon Hay, where he had confronted morning commuters and stabbed the council worker.
The man, 27, originally from Somalia, had surgery for gunshot wounds to his wrist and shoulder and was under police guard in hospital last night.
He has yet to be charged.
Among passers-by who played a crucial role in preventing more casualties was a construction worker, who fought the man with a crowbar, while a woman and a cyclist helped the stabbed council worker into a car and staunched the flow of blood.
The drama started at Redwood School in northern Christchurch about 6.30am when the school caretaker was threatened with a knife after finding a man on the school grounds.
Police said the caretaker and a teacher locked themselves in a classroom, and the man tried to gain entry.
The man fled the scene, kidnapping Robin, an employee of Goodtime Foods, who was delivering pies to the school.
She was forced to drive towards Halswell, but the van stopped in morning commuter traffic at the corner of Hoon Hay Rd and Halswell Rd about 8am.
She was stabbed by the man in the shoulder before escaping from the truck, with the man following.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as a bleeding Robin screamed for help, while the man aggressively confronted other motorists in the line of traffic at the busy intersection.
The city council worker, in his 50s, who has not been identified at his family's request, was in a council car on the way to an appointment when he was stabbed repeatedly.
The council car crashed into a concrete wall before the attacker got out, still armed, witnesses said.
Construction worker Jade Lynn, 22, who was driving to work, saw the man approaching with a "big meat cleaver and small skeleton knife" and grabbed a crowbar from his truck. The pair fought, and Lynn hit him across the neck, but the man "kept coming" before police arrived.
Witness Bruce Cameron did not understand what was happening until he saw a woman covered in blood screaming.
Cameron, 60, was in Hoon Hay Rd waiting for a lift from a friend when he saw a truck pull over suddenly.
"I didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary until I saw a woman get out and she had blood all over her," he said.
"A guy got out too and started running up the road. He had these two knives.
"I had no idea what was going on.
"There was another man bleeding and people were screaming."
He saw a Christchurch City Council car crash into a fence and thought the driver may have had a heart attack. "But then I saw him get out of the car covered in blood."
Cameron saw Lynn jump out of a truck with a crowbar.
"The guy with the knives was going crazy, then this guy from an Armitage truck got out with a crowbar," he said.
"He was trying to fend the man off and keep him away from the woman by the looks of things.
"It was lucky the cops turned up because it could have been worse.
"The police used pepper spray, they Tasered him, but nothing, and then they shot him twice."
A Halswell Rd resident, who did not want to give his name, said he saw an unconscious, bleeding man, believed to be the council worker, being helped into a car by two people.
He said a woman in a car and a passing cyclist stopped to help the man. "He was bleeding profusely and they were trying to stop the flow of blood. They got him up and sat him in the front seat of the car."
He said there was "a lot of congealed blood on the pavement" after the injured man was taken away in an ambulance.
Assistant Commissioner Dave Cliff said that when police arrived they repeatedly asked the man to drop the knives.
" Officers Tasered the man and deployed pepper spray but this was not successful in stopping the man," he said.
After the man rushed at police with the knife, officers armed with a Glock pistol fired two shots, hitting the man in the arm and shoulder, he said.
Police said they had spoken to the man's mother. He had a "large family" who lived in Christchurch, and had done for several years. Police ethnic liaison officers and refugee services met the Somali community yesterday afternoon.
Mayor Bob Parker said the council was "shocked and saddened" by the attack on their staff member.
"It appears that the staff member was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Parker said the man had worked at the council for decades.
Council staff had spoken to the family and would provide support where possible.
Police Commissioner Peter Marshall commended the actions of Christchurch officers.
"[Yesterday's] actions exemplify the spirit of New Zealand police,"he said.
"It seems clear to me, on the information received so far, that the actions of the police officers in an extremely volatile and dangerous situation are to be absolutely admired.
"They ended the situation in an entirely appropriate manner."
Read here the full article.
Source: press.co.nz
The family of a Somali man shot by police in Christchurch is offering its "collective sympathy" to all those affected by yesterday's terrifying ordeal.
A 27-year-old man yesterday abducted a truck driver and stabbed two people in Christchurch before being shot twice by police.
The Somali-born man, who was lived in Christchurch for some time, is under police guard at Christchurch Hospital.
TVNZ reported family spokesman Hassan Ibrahm as saying the family "never expected something like this to happen".
The wider Somali community said in a statement: " The family of the gentleman involved in the incident in Christchurch and the wider Somali community wish to express our collective sympathy to all affected by this incident.
"We are aware of the situation which those affected are going through and we wish them a quick recovery."
What began yesterday as an ordinary weekday morning in suburban Christchurch quickly turned into a scene of violence and bloodshed as a knife-wielding man went on a rampage before being shot by police.
Two people were stabbed – a delivery driver, who was taken hostage by the man in her truck yesterday morning, and a Christchurch City Council worker, who was in a serious but stable condition in Christchurch Hospital last night.
The food delivery driver, Marteine Robin, 36, was last night recovering at home after a stab wound in her shoulder was stitched.
The attacker's 90-minute path of violence across the city was ended by two gunshots as he continued to approach police in Hoon Hay, where he had confronted morning commuters and stabbed the council worker.
The man, 27, originally from Somalia, had surgery for gunshot wounds to his wrist and shoulder and was under police guard in hospital last night.
He has yet to be charged.
Among passers-by who played a crucial role in preventing more casualties was a construction worker, who fought the man with a crowbar, while a woman and a cyclist helped the stabbed council worker into a car and staunched the flow of blood.
The drama started at Redwood School in northern Christchurch about 6.30am when the school caretaker was threatened with a knife after finding a man on the school grounds.
Police said the caretaker and a teacher locked themselves in a classroom, and the man tried to gain entry.
The man fled the scene, kidnapping Robin, an employee of Goodtime Foods, who was delivering pies to the school.
She was forced to drive towards Halswell, but the van stopped in morning commuter traffic at the corner of Hoon Hay Rd and Halswell Rd about 8am.
She was stabbed by the man in the shoulder before escaping from the truck, with the man following.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as a bleeding Robin screamed for help, while the man aggressively confronted other motorists in the line of traffic at the busy intersection.
The city council worker, in his 50s, who has not been identified at his family's request, was in a council car on the way to an appointment when he was stabbed repeatedly.
The council car crashed into a concrete wall before the attacker got out, still armed, witnesses said.
Construction worker Jade Lynn, 22, who was driving to work, saw the man approaching with a "big meat cleaver and small skeleton knife" and grabbed a crowbar from his truck. The pair fought, and Lynn hit him across the neck, but the man "kept coming" before police arrived.
Witness Bruce Cameron did not understand what was happening until he saw a woman covered in blood screaming.
Cameron, 60, was in Hoon Hay Rd waiting for a lift from a friend when he saw a truck pull over suddenly.
"I didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary until I saw a woman get out and she had blood all over her," he said.
"A guy got out too and started running up the road. He had these two knives.
"I had no idea what was going on.
"There was another man bleeding and people were screaming."
He saw a Christchurch City Council car crash into a fence and thought the driver may have had a heart attack. "But then I saw him get out of the car covered in blood."
Cameron saw Lynn jump out of a truck with a crowbar.
"The guy with the knives was going crazy, then this guy from an Armitage truck got out with a crowbar," he said.
"He was trying to fend the man off and keep him away from the woman by the looks of things.
"It was lucky the cops turned up because it could have been worse.
"The police used pepper spray, they Tasered him, but nothing, and then they shot him twice."
A Halswell Rd resident, who did not want to give his name, said he saw an unconscious, bleeding man, believed to be the council worker, being helped into a car by two people.
He said a woman in a car and a passing cyclist stopped to help the man. "He was bleeding profusely and they were trying to stop the flow of blood. They got him up and sat him in the front seat of the car."
He said there was "a lot of congealed blood on the pavement" after the injured man was taken away in an ambulance.
Assistant Commissioner Dave Cliff said that when police arrived they repeatedly asked the man to drop the knives.
" Officers Tasered the man and deployed pepper spray but this was not successful in stopping the man," he said.
After the man rushed at police with the knife, officers armed with a Glock pistol fired two shots, hitting the man in the arm and shoulder, he said.
Police said they had spoken to the man's mother. He had a "large family" who lived in Christchurch, and had done for several years. Police ethnic liaison officers and refugee services met the Somali community yesterday afternoon.
Mayor Bob Parker said the council was "shocked and saddened" by the attack on their staff member.
"It appears that the staff member was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Parker said the man had worked at the council for decades.
Council staff had spoken to the family and would provide support where possible.
Police Commissioner Peter Marshall commended the actions of Christchurch officers.
"[Yesterday's] actions exemplify the spirit of New Zealand police,"he said.
"It seems clear to me, on the information received so far, that the actions of the police officers in an extremely volatile and dangerous situation are to be absolutely admired.
"They ended the situation in an entirely appropriate manner."
Read here the full article.
Source: press.co.nz
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