A senior police detective has publicly criticised his communications manager after he and another officer suffered serious bite wounds during a violent arrest.
The detective and his colleague were allegedly bitten in a Pirimai street at about 9.10pm on Friday by a 40-year-old gang member suspected of the armed robbery of a bank 12 hours earlier.
Police had earlier issued a "wanted" email and file photograph of the well-known gang member alleged to have stormed the Kennedy Rd Kiwibank at gunpoint. It's claimed he was carrying a pistol, demanded money from a staff member and was handed an undisclosed sum of cash.
On Saturday the detective contacted Hawke's Bay Today, critical of police's Eastern District communications manager Kris McGehan for "glazing over" bite injuries he and a colleague had received.
The long-serving officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said Ms McGehan's report claiming the man was arrested "without particular problems" was not true. He said he was upset the truth was not disclosed to media or the public after the attack.