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Police arrest man after fatal Point England shooting

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Tue, 8 Aug 2023, 4:23pm
 Photos / Supplied / Hayden Woodward
Photos / Supplied / Hayden Woodward

Police arrest man after fatal Point England shooting

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Tue, 8 Aug 2023, 4:23pm

Police have arrested a 28-year-old man after a fatal shooting in an East Auckland reserve on Saturday.

Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said police searched a Glen Innes address today.

“At the address, detectives arrested a 28-year-old man for breaching his electronically monitored bail,” he said. “We have established his presence at the scene of Saturday’s violence.”

Baldwin said, “This is by no means the end of the matter, and we anticipate further arrests and charges as our investigation continues.”

Police investigate the scene of a disorder event at Taurima Reserve in Pt England. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Police investigate the scene of a disorder event at Taurima Reserve in Pt England. Photo / Hayden Woodward

The man who was shot in Point England and later died in hospital was patched Head Hunter Charles Pongi.

Pongi took himself to hospital after the shooting at Taurima Reserve, and another man - believed to be a patched Rebels motorcycle gang member - took himself to Middlemore Hospital for a gunshot wound the same day.

Armed police were seen standing guard outside the hospital following his admission.

Baldwin earlier called the shooting “reckless violence”.

Police officers at the scene of a disorder event where a person was shot dead at Taurima Reserve in Point England, Auckland on Saturday. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Police officers at the scene of a disorder event where a person was shot dead at Taurima Reserve in Point England, Auckland on Saturday. Photo / Hayden Woodward

“[It] is deplorable to police and the public,” he said.

A traumatised mother told the Herald her young children witnessed the apparent gang shootout in the East Auckland reserve.

“That evening, I had to tell the children what they saw was not a game, that it was real life.

 “They saw two men firing guns at each other,” she said.

“As parents, we are insecure. I am just grateful we were not harmed in any way.”

A man who lives close to Taurima Reserve told the Herald he heard what sounded like a shootout on Saturday afternoon.

Charles Pongi died after he was shot in Pt England on Saturday.

Charles Pongi died after he was shot in Pt England on Saturday.

“Two guns, with one gun going, ‘crack crack crack’,” he said.

“About six cracks, and I heard a ‘boom’ - it was a gunshot,” he said.

“There was a large group there, about three or four cars full. They sped off out of Taurima Ave right after.”

The resident said police arrived on the scene over an hour later. A police spokeswoman said they were called to Taurima Reserve at 2.40pm following several reports of disorder and sounds of gunshots.

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