Mayor honours have-a-go hero
News release
11 November 2009
Mayor
honours have-a-go hero
Mayor Kerry Prendergast will
today honour a passer-by who stepped in to stop a man on a
wrecking spree in central Wellington.
Ben Dalton
was one of three people who confronted the man, who was
smashing windows and damaging goods in shop windows in
Manners Mall last November.
Mr Dalton confronted
the offender, challenging him to drop the bar, and the other
two tackled him. They were able to restrain the man until
police arrived.
“This is a case in which it would
have been very easy for someone to walk on by, to think
‘They’ll be insured’ and dismiss it as someone
else’s problem,” Mayor Prendergast said.
“But
these three men decided to act. They performed a valuable
service in stopping this terrifying incident, preventing
further damage and ending a very real risk to public
safety.”
The other two men, Adam Newell and Bruce
Thompson, received Safety in the City awards for their part
in the incident at a ceremony in September.
Mr
Dalton, who was unable to get to that ceremony, is being
given his award before the Council meeting this
evening.
The Mayor presents Safety in the City
awards annually to people and organisations that have shown
bravery and courage, dedication and passion and outstanding
community spirit in safety issues.
Recipients this
year included a crewman who jumped into Wellington Harbour
to rescue a man who was in danger of being crushed against
the wharf by his vessel, health workers on the front line in
the fight against swine flu and a young mum who foiled a
child abduction attempt.
The award is being made at
5.30pm at the Council Chamber, Wellington Town
Hall.
ends