Off-duty police netball team leave match to intervene in fight - and then go on to win their game

A netball team stacked with police officers abandoned a game to help a man being attacked on nearby courts.

The Waitemata Police social netball team's match had just entered the third quarter at the Netball North Harbour Courts in Northcote on Saturday when the netballers saw a worker and another man fighting beside the courts.

One appeared to be struggling in the violent clash.

"The whistle had gone but all of us ignored it, quite focused on the two males having a fight on the sideline," said one of the police officers at the match.

"We all just kind of looked at each other and knew that we had to get involved and help so we all just ran off the court leaving the Shore Rovers team standing there without us. Sorry," said another officer.

A 31-year-old man allegedly assaulted a worker at the Netball North Harbour Courts last Saturday. Unfortunately for him, our Police social netball team was nearby playing a game when they saw the incident unfold. With the help of our community, they managed to detain the man until on-duty Police staff arrived. He's been charged with aggravated assault, assault with intent to injure and common assault. #safercommunitiestogether

Posted by North Shore, Rodney & West Auckland Police on Monday, 31 July 2017

The off-duty officers said it took a couple of minutes to bring one of the men under control, with help from bystanders.

He was detained until on-duty police arrived.

Despite the fracas the match resumed with the police social team coming out victors.

A 31-year-old man has been charged with aggravated assault, assault with intent to injure and common assault.