Man charged after incident skilsaw in Hamilton

Police confirmed a 22-year-old Otara man appeared in Hamilton District Court on 21 February following an attack with and electric saw in the Hamilton streets.

An Auckland man has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after allegedly attacking two men damaging his van in Hamilton with a hand-held electric saw.

The incident occurred on Victoria St, Hamilton, in the early hours of February 21, police confirmed.

"It appears that the man disturbed two men damaging his builders van and chased them with a hand-held saw from the van," a police spokesperson said.

A witness said he came across the scene after the altercation had already begun around 3.30am on Thursday morning.

"I ran out and saw the two guys who were punching his windows [the builder's van] across the road but we didn't know where the guy with the skilsaw was and then we saw him down the road," the witness said.

"So they chased after him, and he revved it up and slashed one of them across the arm and then he ran all the way down one of the streets.

"He cut the guy across his bicep. There was quite a bit of blood.

"Me and a few of my mates chased him to Anglesea St. He was revving it as he was running down the street and then he stopped. Around 400 metres down the road he stopped and turned and started walking towards me.

"He stopped and faced me and I managed to convince him to put them [the weapons] down."

The witness told the Herald there were "heaps of people" who witnessed the attack on Victoria St, and then a group who chased the man with the electric saw through the streets of Hamilton's CBD.

A group of bystanders helped restrain the man after he dropped the electric circular saw and a crowbar he was also holding, the witness said.

"It looked like a 12-volt battery drill, and it had like a hand guard on it. So you had to use it with two hands to get the blade fully out, but he had the blade down maybe 10 mills," the witness said of the weapon.

Police said a man, 22, had been charged with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.