Three teenagers and a 20-year-old have been arrested after fleeing the scene of a burglary, ramming police cars and drving on the wrong side of the road on the motorway.
Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
At around 1am police approached the scene of a burglary at an electronics store in Auckland's Silverdale.
Two cars were seen leaving the area and the Eagle helicopter was deployed.
Waitematā District commander Superintendent Naila Hassan said the air support unit saw people in one of the cars transferring stolen goods to a third car.
"Ground staff were directed to this location and attempted to block this third vehicle, but it rammed two of our vehicles before fleeing.
"No pursuit has been initiated. Instead, [the] Eagle [helicopter] continued to provide observations of this vehicle as it entered the motorway network on the wrong side of the road.
"It has travelled across the Harbour Bridge and exited on Curran Street where spikes were successfully deployed."
As this was taking place, a police car heading to the area crashed on Jervois Road, Hassan said.
Police officers were taken to hospital but did not sustain serious injuries.
The fleeing car continued through Ponsonby and entered the North Western motorway where the police helicopter officers said the car was driven in a dangerous manner.
Police deployed spikes near Westgate but the car was driven onto the motorway again.
Shortly afterwards, Hassan says, the car was blocked by police and the four occupants taken into custody.
A 20-year-old had been driving and the others in the car were aged between 15 and 17.
Police expect to lay a number of charges.
