Police officers tackle offender doused with petrol

Christchurch Police have praised the actions of two officers who tackled an offender who had doused himself with petrol and was threatening to set fire to himself and the house he was in.

Police were called to an address in Winchester Street, Merivale, at around 8.20pm on Sunday night [3 June] after a woman called police to say her son had threatened to visit the house and burn it down.

Inspector Derek Erasmus says it appears the alleged offender broke into the house, while his mother and another woman at the address barricaded themselves in an attached garage and maintained contact with Police by cell phone.

When two police officers arrived at the property they found it in darkness but heard someone inside the house, and splashing sounds, and could smell petrol.

"The two identified themselves and saw a man splashing petrol around the inside of the house, and over his head and body.

"The man retreated up the stairs and yelled at the two officers something along the lines of 'I want us all to die'. At that point the officers also saw that the man had a lighter in his hand.

"They used pepper spray on the man, which failed to subdue him - possibly because of the petrol he had poured on himself.

"They quickly made the decision to tackle the man to the ground and knocked the petrol can out of his hand. They secured the man, taking the lighter out of his hand, and dragged him down the stairs and outside, removing him from the house."

Inspector Erasmus says both officers were themselves covered in petrol during the incident. When the alleged offender was searched outside the house he was found to be carrying boxes of matches and another lighter.

The two women at the address were unharmed, but shaken.

Inspector Erasmus says the officers' actions showed extreme bravery. "This was a fast-moving and potentially volatile situation," he says.

"They acted quickly and decisively to tackle the offender, despite the risk to themselves. I have no doubt that their actions potentially saved one or more people from serious harm."

The man, aged 23, was arrested and appeared in the Christchurch District Court yesterday on charges including attempted arson, burglary and threatening to kill, and was remanded in custody to reappear tomorrow.

ENDS