West Auckland Police are describing the public response to their media appeal for information on whereabouts of a wanted gunman as outstanding.
Detective Senior Sergeant Stan Brown of the Waitakere CIB says the male gunman had fired at a female dairy owner during an attempted armed robbery in New Lynn on Saturday.
"The 46 year old victim was hit in the upper left arm and had to undergo surgery at North Shore Hospital yesterday to treat the wound. She is now recovering at home."
"It was in the interests of public safety that this offender was caught, - and that he was caught fast."
"We had excellent security footage of the incident. Accordingly we released these details to all media so that our public appeal for information on the shooting could be widely profiled."
"Within hours of news broadcasts and print media publication we received several calls indicating the identity and whereabouts of our offender and subsequently he was arrested at 1.00am this morning Monday 28 July 2008."
"The arrest went smoothly."
"The early response and support given to the Police from all sectors of the media and the general public on this occasion has been just outstanding."
"It demonstrates an existing uniformity of purpose across the entire public spectrum without which this early arrest could not have been achieved."
"An 18 year old male, unemployed labourer of Henderson will appear in the Waitemata District Court today on four charges related to the shooting at the Rua Road dairy."
These charges include:
• Wounds with intent to injure Penalty is 14 years imprisonment • Unlawful possession of a firearm Penalty is three years • Assault with intent to rob Penalty is 14 years • Commission of a crime with a firearm Penalty is 10 years
"Police are seeking to locate the driver of the silver or light blue coloured vehicle which was seen departing the crime."
"This co-offender is the subject of our ongoing enquiries into this incident," Senior Sergeant Stan Brown said.
ENDS;
Kevin [Kev] Loughlin
District Communications Manager / Media Advisor
Waitemata Police District
Phone 09 488 9758 - Extn 96308 / Mobile 027 281 0271
Email - kevin.loughlin@police.govt.nz