A man is led to a police car after the situation was resolved. Photo / Patrick Flanagan
A man is led to a police car after the situation was resolved. Photo / Patrick Flanagan
Dramatic images have emerged of the moment a 10-hour standoff that crippled Wellington's transport network was resolved with the help of a concerned relative.
And a cigarette appears to have played a pivotal role in bringing the incident near Wellington's Terrace Tunnel to an end yesterday.
The man, who was armed with a knife, climbed on to the pipes after colliding with another car while driving the wrong way on State Highway 1, city end of the tunnel, around midday.
Police closed the tunnel and spent 10 hours trying to negotiate with him, during which time he refused anything to drink or eat and cut himself with the knife.
Police and a relative negotiate with the man on top of pipes at the entrance to the Terrace Tunnel in Wellington. Photo / Patrick Flanagan
Flanagan's photos capture the incident from the viewpoint of Macdonald Crescent from 7pm through to the final moments when the man decided to come down.
He said things took an obvious turn when a male family member dressed in a white top arrived on the scene about 9.30pm.
"He engaged in conversation with the 31-year-old man for a few minutes at least, maybe 10 minutes.
"Eventually the chap on the pipes came over to the family member who was talking to him and I got the impression he handed over a cigarette at one point for the guy to smoke.
"I just saw a puff of smoke come up. Sort of to say, 'Here mate, have a fag, let's have a bit of a chat'. A friendly interaction.
"During this period the man on the pipes goes from wearing a white singlet, to bare-chested, to wearing a black top.
"He has a black vest on which was given to him by the person in the white top. Sort of again a nurturing thing, so, 'Look here have a cigarette', as I saw it, 'Put something warm on you're gonna get cold mate, let's keep talking'.
"After another 5 minutes or so the police seemed to back off a wee bit and the man on the pipes got into a safer position off the pipes and on a bit of a ledge, and eventually let himself down.
"When the family member... it looked like [they] was making a difference. Eventually the guy I guess got talked round and decided it was time to finish it, to end it."
Flanagan also photographed the crowd of onlookers who had gathered to watch the drama unfold.
"Quite a number of people, perhaps about 20 or so at one point, just standing around, sitting around, just to see what happened.
"I thought well I should at least put it in some context, get a photo of the people doing the watching as well as doing the watching myself."
Yesterday, Wellington District Commander Inspector Chris Bensemann said the number one priority during the incident was ensuring the safety of officers, the public and the people involved.
More than 20 staff including AOS, Police negotiators and dog teams assisted and all possible tactical options were considered to safely resolve the incident.
"In the end this became a matter of patience and communication and we are glad the incident was resolved without further injury," said Bensemann.
He said the man had been carrying a knife which he used to slash his forearms. Blood splatters were visible on several of the pipes.
The pipes were 1m wide and 12m long, making it "unrealistic" for police to engage with the man.
"He has been difficult to talk to. He is agitated, his energy levels reduced throughout the afternoon in the heat of the day," Bensemann said earlier.
"He is making requests to speak to his partner and we're trying to work through those requests."
Bensemann said police were determined to resolve the issue without "anyone being hurt".
Police closed the tunnel following the incident and organised four double-decker buses to be parked underneath the man, reducing the drop space between him and the ground.
Bensemann thanked Fire and Emergency NZ, Wellington Free Ambulance and Metlink for their assistance in "hot and tiring conditions" throughout the incident.
"We are aware of the major disruption this caused to traffic around the city and Police would like to again thank the public for their patience and understanding."
