Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
A police officer and his dog have been injured after a man threw shards of glass at them.
Inspector Andrea McBeth said the man had been arrested for stealing a phone off a passerby, cash from one restaurant and attempting to steal cash from another in central Hamilton.
While police were placing him under arrest, he smashed a glass storefront window of a business premises on Friday.
He then threw the shards of glass at a dog handler and police dog. As a result, the handler received cuts to his hand, and the dog to suffered cuts to its paws.
The offender also received large gashes to his own arm while in the process of breaking the window, and a dog bite after the police dog was deployed to aid in his arrest.
During this apprehension, another man had intervened, who was then arrested and charged with obstruction.
The dog handler and dog are both are expected to make a full recovery.
The man was taken to hospital by ambulance for medical attention.
A 35-year-old man has been charged with aggravated assault, assaulting police, burglary, and receiving property.
A 50-year-old local man has also been charged with assaulting and obstructing police, and injuring a police dog.
Both appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Saturday, and the 35-year-old has been remanded in custody to appear at a later date.
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