Bystanders' apathy shocks Samaritan

When Steven Holmes stepped in to stop a woman being assaulted by a man, he didn't expect a knife to be pulled on him, nor did he think others would just watch the violence unfold.

The incident happened in front of shoppers outside the ASB Bank in central Kamo about 10.15am on Tuesday.

The senior Corrections officer was not hurt but he said what angered him most was the people who did nothing.

"I was surprised at the amount of people who stood and watched."

Mr Holmes was threatened when he intervened in a fight between a young man and a woman.

He was at the nearby Shell service station when he saw a young woman being assaulted.

"They were arguing when I tried to de-escalate the situation. He then turned aggressive towards me," he said.

"He became verbally abusive and his first comment was, 'Say one more thing and I'll slit your throat'."

Mr Holmes said the man had something in his hands but had refused to say what it was.

Police later said it was a knife.

Four police cars and a dog handler combed adjacent streets for about an hour before the alleged offender was arrested on Boswell St.

Mr Holmes said: "You'd do the same thing if you saw someone hitting a woman, wouldn't you?"

Sergeant Tai Patrick said the 19-year-old had earlier failed to appear in Whangarei District Court.

He faces charges arising from the Kamo incident as well as failing to appear in court, and breach of bail.

- APN