Police are hunting for the occupants of a car that threw a bottle so hard at a youth that it knocked him to the ground.
The 15-year-old youth was walking along Te Mata Rd in Havelock North at about 7.50pm yesterday near the Havelock North domain when a car drove past him. A back seat passenger yelled out to him then threw a beer bottle at him.
Detective Glen Restieaux said the bottle was thrown with such force that it knocked the youth to the ground, leaving him with cuts, abrasions and bruising to his face. The youth sought help from a member of the public for his injuries.
Police want to identify the red vehicle that was involved and the car's three occupants. The driver is described as a Maori of medium build, the front seat passenger is described as male Caucasian and the rear seat passenger is described as a skinny male Maori in his 20s.
"This was an unprovoked and callous attack on an innocent individual. It was only by pure luck that the young victim was not seriously hurt. We are very keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the car and its occupants in the area at the time," Mr Restieaux said.
