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Man charged after Christchurch police shootout

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 11 Mar 2019, 3:55PM

Man charged after Christchurch police shootout

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 11 Mar 2019, 3:55PM

The man shot by police in Christchurch late last month is facing a number of firearms-related charges.

An alleged gunman accused of shooting at Christchurch police officers 13 days ago has finally been charged.

Tolu Ma'anaiama, 33, received two gunshot wounds to the lower body after police returned fire in Eveleyn Couzins Ave in the Richmond area of the city shortly before 7.30pm on February 26 after a pursuit.

Ma'anaiama's case called at Christchurch District Court this afternoon where he faced charges of failing to stop, assault with a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, and using a firearm against a law enforcement officer.

Police also allege that he failed to stop three days earlier.

He was remanded in hospital custody without plea until April 1.

Treik Rakena Allen, 20, earlier appeared in court via audio-visual link from custody over an alleged February 23 shooting incident.

Allen faces two charges of firing a pistol to prevent the lawful arrest of Ma'anaiama.
He was remanded in custody without plea to March 25.

The man is held down by police in Christchurch after the incident. Photo / Video screengrab
The man is held down by police in Christchurch after the incident. Photo / Video screengrab

shows a man taking cover behind his vehicle in a street as police cars converge on the scene with sirens blaring before numerous gunshots ring out.

The man in a red shirt and khaki shorts sprints from the car then turns back to face police when numerous shots are fired.

Vaughan McLean told NZME he was in the lounge with his daughter when he heard the sirens.

"I looked out the window and saw them chasing the car."

He said the vehicle appeared to have lost a wheel so he and his daughter went outside to look.

"We were standing here and the guy started shooting. I'm not sure if it was bullets hitting the road or shrapnel flying clean past us, so we ran in and lay on the lawn behind the hedge.

Police at the scene in the suburb of Shirley. Photo / Jack Loader
Police at the scene in the suburb of Shirley. Photo / Jack Loader

"I'm lying on my daughter. There was a total of about 10 shots. Then it stopped so we went inside. About 10 minutes later we came back out and apparently he'd been shot by police."

A photograph taken by Mathew Roberts from his balcony on Evelyn Couzins Ave showed police working on the badly injured man in the street after the shootout.

The vehicle appears to have been driven on its exposed metal wheel rims.

Roberts had been in his apartment watching television when he heard wailing sirens drawing closer.

"Popping his head out" he saw a man jumping out of a car as police vehicles pulled up close behind.

Officers then jumped out and started heading towards the man "but that's when the shooting started", Roberts said.

"I heard gunshots and ... it seemed to me there were gunshots going back and forth between police and the person the police were after.

"From what I saw there was a lot - 8 or 9 shots - [fired]."

Roberts said he didn't see the entire shootout but heard the shots because midway through he rushed to a separate balcony for a clearer view where he started filming.

By the time Roberts reached the second balcony the man was already on the ground bleeding and being cuffed by police.

He saw about four or five police cars at the scene.

Roberts said the neighbourhood was a nice one, filled with elderly people and not the kind of place where shootouts were expected.

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