Handcuffed teen arrested after allegedly stealing police car

A handcuffed teen jumped into the front seat of an empty police car, smashed it through a roller door at Auckland Airport and led officers on a 40-minute chase today. Photo / 123RF

A handcuffed teenager jumped into the front seat of an empty police car, smashed it through a roller door at Auckland Airport and led officers on a 40-minute chase today.

The police Eagle chopper was used to help find the 16-year-old, who had been transported to the airport by police on behalf of Oranga Tamariki. The teenager was meant to be flying to Wellington.

The incident unfolded about 10.22am, as the handcuffed teenager sat in the back of the marked police vehicle at the Auckland Airport police station.

As police staff were briefly out of the parked vehicle, the youth allegedly managed to get into the driver's seat and took off, driving through a closed roller door and fleeing the scene.

The vehicle was seen overhead by the Eagle helicopter, and was located by ground staff abandoned outside an address in Randwick Park.

Police surrounded the address and a male was taken into custody about 11am.

The teen will be appearing in the Youth Court this afternoon on charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and escaping custody.

Police cannot rule out further charges.

Counties Manukau District Commander Superintendent Jill Rogers said this was a serious incident and police would conduct a review to establish the full circumstances.

"Thankfully no one was injured during this incident. An internal review will be carried out to ensure the officers followed best practice and to see what, if any learnings we can take from this incident."

The matter will be referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

Oranga Tamariki acting general manager of youth justice residences Kyle Kuiti said, "Every day specialist and fully trained Oranga Tamariki Youth Justice staff transport young people around the country for various reasons.

"On occasion, we request the assistance of police, as we did this morning. The young man is now safe.

"As this is a police and court matter, this is all we can say at this stage," he said.

Later this afternoon police were also led on a pursuit through West Auckland after they attempted to stop a stolen vehicle in Whenuapai just before 1pm.

Senior Sergeant James Bothamley, of Waitemata Police, said the driver refused to stop for police and was followed to Hobsonville Point where the stolen vehicle struck two police cars.

The cars received minor damage and no-one was injured.

Police apprehended the driver of the vehicle a short time later and he is now in custody awaiting charges, Bothamley said.

Today's incident was the third theft of a police car in the past year.

Last October, a police officer in Murupara spotted a young man who was wanted for stealing cigarettes, a cash register and about $300 from the Murupara Store.

The man, Maaki Te Huirau Emery, 18, was handcuffed and placed in the front passenger seat of a police car while the officer was delivering two teenagers in the back seat to their home.

When the officer got out and spoke to the teenagers' caregiver, Emery "rapidly reversed out of the driveway" and accelerated away.

Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Andy McGregor said in a media statement at the time that two shots were fired by a police officer during the incident.

As he was fleeing, Emery drove at speed, on the wrong side of the road, forcing at least two children to get out of the way to avoid being hit, failed to give way and drove through a pedestrian crossing and over speed humps at speed.

He was jailed in January for four and a half years.

Lexus Alicia Rosemary Nelson, 17, drove a police car through this fence and hit a car last December. Photo / File

Then in December a Rotorua teen Lexus Alicia Rosemary Nelson, 17, admitted getting into a police car and taking off to distract police officers who were dealing with her male associate.

Police said she drove over a speed hump and the car left the road and mounted the footpath where it hit a school sign, causing significant damage to the vehicle and sign.

She then lost control, crossing the centre of the road and going onto the kerb on the opposite side.

She sped through two residential fences and crashed into a Honda car parked in a driveway.

The Honda was pushed into two other cars in an enclosed garage, causing significant damage to all vehicles.

Nelson ran from the police car and police found her hiding behind a house on Spinel Place.

Nelson pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, careless driving, driving while prohibited and driving with excess blood alcohol. She also pleaded guilty to an unrelated burglary charge.