Kaikoura Firearm Chase and The Roar

thousands of ducks suffer in NZ

Local police are collecting evidence after a firearm incident at around 5.15am last Saturday morning in Kaikoura.

Police Sargent Barry Hansen said a man pulled a firearm on another man and “chased him round town” he didn’t have any information as to whether the two men were known to each other.

Senior constable, Andy Grant, in his weekly column for the Kaikoura Star wrote movingly about how a friend of his was killed in a tragic hunting accident.

He diligently reminded people to take care with firearm safety as the “roar” was fast approaching, pointing out the seven basic rules of the Firearms Code. (Free copies of the code are available from Kaikoura Police Station)

He said that he watched young men in the district attending court; he wanted to remind them at some time in the future they may want to apply for a firearms licence, saying

“Now is a prudent time for those lads to change their behaviour, show maturity, responsibility and decrease their alcohol consumption“

During the roar hunters take to the Kaikoura ranges and shoot wild pigs, and stags: it is not a great time to be out and about if you’re into enjoying the peace and tranquility of the great outdoors.

Fortunately all animal lovers are likely to be absent from the area now that the whale watching season is over. Whales are lucky that they took the evolutionary route that caused them to be water dwelling mammals. New Zealand has the distinction of being devoid of native land mammals for a good reason.

Hopefully people will get the message that alcohol and guns don’t mix and this year will be without incident.

In other NZ hunting news…

The annual ‘Great Easter Bunny Hunt’ – a fun family day out to celebrate Easter in the traditional way:

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The Great Easter Bunny hunt: Is an annual event in Otago sponsored by MOA BEER. (who said alcohol and guns don’t mix?) Last year nearly 23,000 rabbits, 979 hares, 8 pigs, many stoats and a goat were shot. Killing can be such fun for the kids. The rabbit corpses were collected by a scout group for composting.

Its not just mammals that are fair game, some of New Zealand’s native birds are too.

“1 million birds slaughtered“: Duck shooting carnage begins early this year for the Paradise Shelduck  – DOC declared open season on the paradise duck with hunters invited to help reduce the number of the birds. These are a native New Zealand bird, once declared rare after being decimated by over hunting in the 19th century.

Careless and reckless behaviour during the first day of the duck shooting season resulted in a fatal shooting and the Armed Offenders Squad arresting a gun-wielding duck shooter in a bar. (There’s that connection with alcohol again)

Rosemary Ives’ killer is released after serving less than half his sentence (a school teacher was shot dead at DOC campsite whilst she was brushing her teeth one night)

Police name the man shot dead in hunting accident (a farm worker was shot dead whilst hunting rabbits)

Failure to correctly identify the target – is the main reason given for most hunting fatalities in NZ

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You may also be interested in other posts tagged: Animal welfare:

Auckland’s Real New Zealand Sheep Stunt Canned, Lambs Sent To Meat Works

Calls To Ban Abortions In NZ’s Dairy Industry:

NZ Farmers Plan To ‘Factory Farm’ Dairy Cows:

Vivisection and Animal Welfare Standards in New Zealand:

Burnside High School In Lockdown, Gunman Spotted

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Christchurch’s Burnside High School was placed in lockdown at 11 am after a man carrying a firearm was seen in the vicinity.

Reports on twitter say that armed police and dogs were moved into the school whilst pupils remained in their classrooms.

The Canterbury Star also picked up on the story, adding the following details

“The person, described as a Maori male, aged 16 to 18, wearing a black coat and dark jeans, was seen by students walking through the grounds carrying what appeared to be a silver pistol.

The weapon was not presented at anybody and no threats were made.

The male was seen exiting the school grounds towards Memorial Avenue…” more here

Police were unable to apprehend the suspect and the lockdown has now been lifted.

People from Christchurch took to the Trade Me forum to discuss the incident, with one person saying

“It’s been a warzone since the earthquakes, the snows, and violence including looting, and now this while the council and the govt do nothing – it is what it is down here. Like down at the O K Corale”

In November of last year an armed man was arrested in a gang related armed incident, just meters from two schools in Hastings.

Armed Siege in Wanganui

A NZ AOS Officer

Armed Offender Squad officers have cordoned off a Wanganui street after at least three gun shots were heard.

The NZ Herald reported

“At 2.45 this afternoon emergency services were called to the Wanganui suburb of Aramoho following reports of gunshots being fired.

A man was spotted walking around with a gun but he has since left the area, Inspector Paul Jermy said.

There was reports someone had been injured, but had only minor injuries, Mr Jermy said.

The Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) have since cornered off Hackett Street after police located a vehicle they believe the gunman might have been in.” read more here

“Gang lands“

People on the Trade Me message boards were quick to speculate the cause:

“gun shots fired in Aramoho,  a car has been discovered in Hackett Street Wanganui East , bet it’s gang related ”

“Maybe it’s the dad of the two year old that was run over?……”

Aramoho, Castlecliff and Gonville are known locally as “gang lands” and there are tensions between Black Power, Mongrel Mob and the Hell’s Angels

Hackett Street, Wanganui

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For more posts about the Armed Offenders Squad read our page  Armed Offender Squad & Armed Police Incidents – All About Safety? and posts tagged Armed Sieges

Scott Guy – Man Charged With Murder

Police investigating the shooting death of Feilding farmer Scott Guy have charged a 30 year old, local man with his murder.

The arrest was made on 7 April, in relation to murder and other charges

“…the investigation team arrested the man at an address in Feilding and have charged him with murder.

He has also been charged with arson and criminal damage relating to incidents at Scott’s property in October 2008 and January 2009.

A second man, aged 21 years, also from Feilding, has been charged and appeared in an Otago District Court in relation to the arson and the criminal damage, earlier today. He has not been charged in relation to the murder.

No one else is being sought for the murder or related offences at this time… source

Another source reported the information slightly differently

“…The man will also face three counts of intentional damage, two counts of arson and one count of theft of animals.

However, police said two of the damage charges, one arson and the theft charge were historic and did not relate directly to the investigation…”source

For more about the death of Scott Guy please read our earlier blog -

The Scott Guy Murder – Puppies Missing, Vandalism At Farm

“..Mr Guy, aged 31, was found shot in the throat on the driveway of his Feilding farm on the morning of 8 July 2010. His brutal and violent death devastated his young family, leaving his young pregnant wife Kylee without a life partner she was devoted to and their 2 year old son Hunter without an adored father.

Since the shooting information has gradually emerged that the Guy’s Aorangi Rd home was extensively vanadalised in January 2009 during its  construction.

An old farmhouse previously on the property had been burned to the ground in a “suspicious fire” in October 2008 and in the two months previous to that items had been stolen from it.

According to a report released today three chocolate Labrador puppies*, out of a litter of eight, went missing from a building on the farm sometime between  5pm on 7 July and Mr Guy’s death the following morning.

The building where the puppies were kept is said to have been around 80 metres from where Mr Guy was shot. As far as we know nothing else was taken from the property at the time Mr Guy died and there appears to be no motive for the murder.

Fliers advertising the puppies’ sale had been left in local businesses at the end of June. However, it has taken almost two weeks for police to release that information and ask the public for help in finding them.

A neighbour has told the  Manawatu Standard that she’d locked her doors after hearing a loud car racing down the street about 10.30pm on 7 July…”

 

 

 

Eden Park – Firearm Cordon Established

Various news outlets are reporting that police have established a cordon in the Auckland suburb of Mount Eden after incidents involving a firearm.

So far there are no reports of shots being fired.

Update

The NZ Herald later reported that tourist buses were ordered to leave the summit of Mount Eden whilst police investigated the reports of an armed man. The cordon was lifted after it was ascertained that the gunman was just an actor “rehearsing a scene.” For what? we don’t know at this stage.

Shame no one thought to tell the police first, spare a thought for the tourists on the Mount and their terror as they were told to leave, and for the actor.

Not a good look for a country about to host a major film production and an international sporting event next year.