Charges of weapons and drugs offences after incident in Lower Hutt

As Senior Sergeant Kylee Cusin, Hutt Valley Response Manager, put it:

Three people were arrested and a firearm, methamphetamine and cannabis were seized after a driver failed to comply with a police stop order in Lower Hutt this morning.

Police responded to Howard Road at around 8:40 a.m. after receiving reports of three people in a suspicious vehicle parked near a business address. However, the vehicle drove away before police arrived.

Police then spotted the vehicle near the intersection of Marine Drive and Howard Road and activated the lights and sirens to signal the vehicle to stop. The vehicle stopped, but when police approached to speak to the driver, he continued driving.

Police successfully engaged the vehicle in Gracefield and the driver was again signaled to stop. They pulled over and stopped briefly before reversing into a police vehicle and fleeing from police. Due to the driver’s behavior, the vehicle was not pursued.

The occupants abandoned their vehicle nearby and attempted to steal a citizen’s vehicle on Gracefield Road. They were unsuccessful and the citizen was unharmed.

Police, with the assistance of the police dog unit, pursued the occupants to Gracefield Road, where all three were taken into custody.

Although a police vehicle was damaged, the coordinated action of our officers enabled the three people to be quickly identified, tracked down and arrested. A firearm, ammunition and drugs were also confiscated.

These situations evolve quickly and often require the implementation of quick and flexible plans so that we can limit the potential impact on our community. This was a collaborative effort by various working groups across the Hutt Valley and we are pleased to have located and recovered another firearm on the street.

We would like to thank the citizen who noticed and reported suspicious activity on Howard Road around 8:40 a.m., allowing police to identify and quickly arrest the perpetrators.

Police work hard to identify and investigate incidents that could cause harm in our communities, but we need your help. If you witness incidents and they are happening now, contact police immediately on 111. If they happen later, please call 105 or visit online https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105.

Three people, aged between 22 and 43, are due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court tomorrow, Tuesday 9 July.

A 43-year-old man was charged with failure to comply with traffic laws, illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, and possession of methamphetamine and utensils.

A 22-year-old man was charged with failure to comply with traffic control, unlawful possession of weapons and ammunition, possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of distribution and possession of cannabis for the purpose of distribution.

A 23-year-old woman was charged with failure to yield to a traffic stop.

Further charges are likely to follow.