Police held grave fears for beaten colleague

Police cordoned off Elizabeth St near Tuakau College after the off-duty officer was brutally bashed by the youths yesterday. Photo / Richard Robinson

An off-duty policeman who stepped into a group of youths to try and stop a fight yesterday was so severely beaten in the ensuing attack that his colleagues feared he might die.

Counties Manukau district commander Superintendent Mike Bush said in a statement issued this afternoon that the man's injuries were "very serious" and included a fractured skull, multiple fractures to his face a broken jaw, a broken ankle, a collapsed lung, multiple abrasions, bruises to his body and missing teeth.

The policeman - who had been out walking his German shepherd - spent last night at Middlemore Hospital in an induced coma. The 39-year-old is understood to now be in a critical but stable condition.

Police say they do not know when he would be able to return to his duties.

The attack happened about 3.40pm yesterday, after a fight broke out between two people in a group of youths on Elizabeth St, near Tuakau College on the outskirts of town.

When the officer and two civilians went to break up the fight, the policeman was hit from behind and kicked in the head and body.

Other Tuakau residents saw the attack and rushed to assist.

Police say the officer - who is based at Papakura and is believed to be in his forties - was taken from the fight to his home. He lost consciousness and was taken to hospital.

One witness said he saw two or three young men walking up the road in an intimidating manner minutes before the policeman was attacked.

"It's just the way they were walking," said Sonny Baker. "You could tell they were up to no good. It was their manner. They were walking like little gangsters."

A youth in the street said: "This town is not that bad. I think they were third and fourth formers ... just young."

Elizabeth St was cordoned off last night as police went door to door making inquiries.

Superintendent Bush vowed to find the attackers, who are believed to be of school age.

"Regardless of whether it was a police officer involved or a member of the community trying to keep the peace, it is unacceptable the way they have been treated."

Mr Bush said police would ensure that those responsible for the attack would be "made responsible for their actions".

Tuakau College principal Chris Betty said yesterday was a school athletics days and most students had gone home by the time the fight happened, along the street from the college.

Some pupils had remained at school to wait for the bus.

"As I understand it, a non-college person started it and some of the other kids around ... got involved," Mr Betty said.

"I don't know if any of our kids were involved. I suspect there are, but I don't know."

Mr Betty was called by a teacher living in the street and drove to the scene with the deputy principal and another teacher.

They arrived about 3.45pm and saw the officer being helped back to his house by neighbours.

"He was a bit groggy and wasn't very well. He'd been beaten," Mr Betty said.

The school would be investigating on Monday whether its students were involved.

Mr Betty said some pupils saw the fight and were traumatised by it. They would be offered counselling on Monday.

Police spokeswoman Ana-Mari Gates-Bowey said last night that it was possible the youths had "come out of the school and they have gathered for a scrap".

No one had been arrested at the scene as there had been "lots of them, and they fled pretty quickly", Ms Gates-Bowey said.

One Tuakau resident, Willy Marshal, said young people were often fighting on the street, and last week two of his nephews who had been visiting him had been attacked there.

When Mr Marshal's brother stepped in to help the boys, he was sliced on the ear with a knife and had to go to Middlemore Hospital.

More police are expected to join the hunt for the officer's attackers this morning.

One of the men who helped the policeman break up the fight, Michael Callaghan, was last night unwilling to give details about his ordeal, other than to say he was "fine".

Other residents said they were shocked something like the brutal bashing would happen in their street, which is at the back entrance to Tuakau College.

A woman said she was proud of her town, but had her reservations about some of its younger residents.

"Tuakau is a nice town and it's dreadful this should happen with kids. But some are pretty tough, and the language is terrible."

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA