Police in Dunedin say it's a small minority causing the majority of lockdown headaches, including one man who ran over a child's bike.
The Octagon, Dunedin Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen said the 44-year-old man caused a "huge amount of carnage" resulting in numerous calls to police between 2pm and 5pm on Saturday.
The man ran through red lights as he hurled abuse at strangers, Dinnissen said.
"[The man] intentionally drove at and over a young child's bike in the Dunedin Botanic Gardens, causing a child to jump from the bike to avoid being run over."
He then crashed into another vehicle on South Road after rounding a corner too fast, causing a head-on collision with another car.
The man then got out of his car and fled after being confronted by members of the public, Dinnissen said.
The man was located at home about 7pm and charged with dangerous driving causing injury, excess breath alcohol, and issued with several infringement notices for running red lights and breaching the level 4 lockdown.
"Police are generally happy with the behaviour of Otago residents, unfortunately it is a minority within our communities that are causing ongoing work for police with regards to ignorant anti-social behaviours which we are observing on a daily basis whilst in [alert level 4]," Dinnissen said.
"Dunedin police have unfortunately had to take enforcement action against one individual due to their stupidity and arrogance displayed with regards to the current state of the restrictions."
While the man was the only one police took enforcement action against, others were also spoken to by officers because of flouting the rules, he said.
A 48-year-old man was stopped for erratic driving in central Dunedin about 5pm on Saturday.
He told police he had just come to Dunedin from Central Otago and was "just driving around".
A 29-year-old woman was trespassed from a Dunedin Countdown supermarket after abusing the store's manager when she was not allowed to enter the store with her mother and daughter.
She became frustrated at Countdown staff when they would not let the group into the store due to the level 4 restrictions, Dinnissen said.
She asked for the manager and after the manager tried to explain the restrictions, she began verbally abusing them.
Other breaches were reported for people leaving their bubbles or holding parties.
They were all informed of their responsibilities under level 4, Dinnissen said.
