Auckland charter boat mayhem: Police meet passengers at Viaduct after booze cruise turns violent

• Police responded to a charter boat at Auckland’s Viaduct on Saturday after reports of fighting.
• Two men, aged 21 and 39, were arrested for breach of the peace and later released.
• Police said passengers were “intoxicated,” “acting disorderly,” and “fighting”.

Police say charter boat passengers met by officers with Tasers at the ready at Auckland’s Viaduct were “intoxicated”, “acting disorderly” and “fighting”.

The booze cruise descended into anarchy on Saturday as fights broke out on board. Police report two men were arrested for breach of the peace but have since been released.

The saga began about 4.30pm, when it’s understood someone aboard a charter vessel in the Hauraki Gulf called police to report fighting.

Five police cars and a large van were waiting on Auckland's Viaduct Harbour about 5pm Saturday and at least 13 police officers were on the scene as they arrested a man and put him in a van. Photo / via video

A short time later, people at restaurants and hotels overlooking the eastern Viaduct harbour saw more than a dozen police swarm the scene, some armed and others with hands on their Tasers.

Do you know more? Email newsdesk@nzherald.co.nz

Several officers were filmed struggling with one uncooperative man who was bundled to the ground and into a waiting police van.

Police were seen waiting for a boat to dock at Auckland's Eastern Viaduct before arresting several men when they disembarked early Saturday evening.

A police spokesman said today people aboard the vessel were “acting disorderly and fighting”.

“On meeting the vessel on its return to the Viaduct, it was very apparent that many of those onboard the charter vessel were intoxicated.

“Our staff were not able to establish who exactly had been fighting. However, once docked, two men, aged 21 and 39, were arrested for breach of the peace.

“Both men were eventually released from custody.”

The name of the charter vessel has not been released.

Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.