A man who came to the rescue of another man, critically injured, after being hit by a car in a street fight in Panmure this weekend, was later stabbed.
A total of five people were taken after two separate street fights at a Tripoli Rd property this weekend.
Two were injured in the first brawl which broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning, and saw a man hit by a car and trapped underneath with critical injuries.
Witnesses told the New Zealand Herald how the victim was caught under the car for up to a minute while a rioting mob shook the vehicle and threatened the driver.
Another man came to the injured man's aid, and helped lift the car off him, but was later stabbed for his efforts in a second brawl later on Saturday evening.
The second fight erupted around 11.30pm after a group of around 20 people entered a house, at the same site of the earlier brawl, confronting occupants and damaging property.
Three people were injured during the incident – two with stab wounds and one with a blunt-force injury.
Detective Inspector Aaron Pascoe said 20 young adults arrived at this address carrying a variety of weapons including at least one hammer and a knife.
"They have gone into this property and broken windows, smashed cars, and caused damage that means the occupants of this address can't reside here."
Pascoe said it was a deliberate retaliation for the events that happened in the early hours of Saturday morning.
"They have targeted the wrong people and targeted people that have in fact helped the victim on the first night," he said.
"Despite coming from the opposing group, this person made the choice to stay with the injured man until the ambulance arrived and he even assisted in lifting the car off him.
"For his efforts he is now in hospital recovering from serious injuries."
He said the conflict was between two groups, but he didn't describe them as gang members.
"We don't want to see anybody else hurt, and we're asking those involved to leave it up to Police to hold those responsible to account," Pascoe said.
Pascoe said one of the people stabbed last night had "provided valuable assistance" to the person who received the most injuries on Friday night.
Police have not located the driver of the vehicle on Saturday morning, but Pascoe said they are following strong leads.
"I am confident we will identify the driver, but we haven't located him at this stage.
"It is a male, aged in his mid-thirties, around six foot in height, a Polynesian described as having a belly. He was wearing a grey singlet and had a cap on that didn't have any logos."
He is believed to be the only person who was in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
There will be an increased Police presence in the Glen Innes and Panmure area, for the time being, he also confirmed.Â
Police are confident none of the victims targeted last night were responsible for driving the vehicle into victims on Saturday morning.Â
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