Police in Whangārei have arrested a 21-year-old man accused of attacking a woman and forcing her out of her vehicle, which he then allegedly drove away in.
Whangārei area commander Marty Ruth says the incident happened at about 10.30am on Kamo Road.
“The woman, who was not known to the offender, was struck in the face by the man who fled in her vehicle,” Inspector Ruth said in a statement today.
“A few minutes later the stolen vehicle was spotted by police officers.
“A short pursuit was initiated for less than a minute before the offender made a U-turn and crashed into a following police vehicle on Riverside Drive.
“The offender has then decamped on foot and has been chased a short distance by officers where he had attempted to carjack a second vehicle on Riverside Drive.
“An officer has caught up with the offender and in the process of trying to stop the offender the officer has sustained injuries to one of his fingers,” Inspector Ruth said.
The suspect was then quickly apprehended at the scene by additional police officers and is now in police custody and will receive a medical assessment as a precautionary measure, police said.
The injured officer will be receiving medical treatment, while the female driver received minor injuries and was not transported to hospital.
“The 21-year-old is likely to face a number of charges in relation to the incident,” Inspector Ruth said.
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