Hutt Valley Area Commander Inspector Robert Rutene:

Hutt Valley Police will be visible in the Taita area today providing reassurance to residents following an eventful week.

Yesterday, Police received a number of calls from around 5:30pm of a large group of people fighting on High Street, Taita, around Walter Nash Stadium and the surrounding area.

There were reportedly up to 200 people involved, mainly youth, including students from local schools.

Hutt Valley Police attended, and were assisted by colleagues from Wellington, Kapiti, and Porirua.

The group was dispersed, and no charges have been filed in relation to the incident.

“This behaviour will not be tolerated by Police and staff will respond and, where appropriate, take enforcement action,” says Hutt Valley Area Commander Inspector Rob Rutene.

“There have been a handful of significant incidents this week with a serious assault on Monday and an extended response to a man with a firearm that resulted in a number of schools going into lockdown on Tuesday.

“Our enquiries have determined these incidents were unrelated and we have dedicated teams investigating both.”

A 26-year-old has been taken into custody in relation to Monday’s assault and charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and is next due to appear in Hutt Valley District Court on 14 March.

“We believe those involved in this incident were known to each other and Police are actively looking for two other individuals that we understand to have been involved.

The 25-year-old man that was arrested following Tuesday’s firearms incident has since appeared in Hutt Valley District Court on charges of resisting police and using a firearm against police.

Taita residents can expect to see Police throughout the area to provide some comfort and reassurance to locals.

“It is never ideal when several significant incidents take place over such a short period, and we can reassure you that Police will continue to work hard to ensure you are safe and feel safe.”

© Scoop Media