Emergency services respond to stabbing on Anzac Ave.
Steve Smith wasn't sure if the teenager who had just been stabbed was conscious or not — so he did his best to try to reassure her everything was okay while trying to stop the bleeding.
Smith had been standing outside with a colleague in Anzac Ave, central Auckland, when he heard an 18-year-old screaming loudly around 2.45pm yesterday.
He told the Herald the screams were quite loud so he and his colleague ran towards the teen - and watched in horror as a man repeatedly lunged at her with a knife in his hand.
"We both ran towards him and he saw us, dropped the knife and ran down Anzac Ave," Smith said.
"My co-worker tried to follow him and I tried to assist with first aid because I'm a senior first-aider. Being the first responder I assessed the patient and there were multiple stab wounds."
Witnesses to the attack in Anzac Ave say an 18-year-old female was stabbed in the front and the back by a tall, white male. Photo / Dean Purcell
Police said today that the alleged stabber, an 18-year-old man, would appear in court charged with attempted murder.
The female victim, who is understood to be known to the man, remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
Smith attempted to stop the woman from bleeding as she lay on the footpath, working on her for "a couple of minutes" before other members of the public came to help.
"We were trying to stop the bleeding, make sure she's okay and keep assuring her, even if she is unconscious she might hear us. It was pretty horrific," he said.
Abhi, a bystander, didn't see the attack but earlier told the Herald he saw the teen lying on the ground.
"I spoke to one of the ladies who witnessed it all," Abhi said.
"She told me it was a white guy, a tall guy, with some kind of kitchen knife in his hand.
Police officers assess the scene of the incident. Photo / Dean Purcell
She saw him stabbing her in the back and in the front.
"All I saw was a lady lying down, we all went to see what's going on."
Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Armstrong said last night that an 18-year-old male was located soon after the attack and was last night in custody.
"This was not a random attack and the two people involved are known to each other," he said.
"Police were on the scene quickly and there is no ongoing risk to the public."
Armstrong said the victim's family had been notified and were being supported by police and victim support.
Police cordoned off the scene of the stabbing, including the woman's handbag and other personal items which were left on the footpath.
Not far away first-aid supplies, including scissors, a first-aid kit and paper towels were also scattered on the ground. There was blood on the footpath.
