Police appeal for witnesses as investigations continue into Manawatū/Horowhenua incident

Statement to be attributed to Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Thompson:
 
Police are asking for witnesses as they continue to investigate the incident in which shots were fired at Police in Manawatū and Horowhenua on 4 January.
 
We are piecing together a timeline of events and believe there are still members of the public with information which would be valuable to the investigation. 
 
We are specifically interested in speaking with people that saw two vehicles being driven erratically. The first was a Silver Mitsubishi sedan in the Foxton township and the second was a green Mazda Demio which travelled from Foxton before carrying on to the Feilding area.  
 
Police and Victim Support continue to offer support to the member of the public who was a victim of aggravated robbery after her vehicle was taken during the incident in Foxton.
 
She handled herself extremely well in a very stressful situation and we commend her for this.
 
Sadly the repercussions are ongoing for her. Not only did she have to face this overwhelming situation, but the vehicle she depends on has been damaged beyond repair and was not insured.
 
A 30-year-old man has been charged with numerous offences including using a firearm against a law enforcement officer, aggravated robbery, possession of a pistol and a number of driving offences. 
 
He has been remanded in custody until 28 January with interim name suppression. 
 
The man required hospital treatment immediately after the incident but has since been transferred into Corrections custody.
 
Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police on 105 and quote file number 210104/6343. 
 
ENDS
 
Issued by Police Media Centre.