Sergeant fends off axe-wielding mental patient with his baton

By BRIDGET CARTER

It was supposed to be a routine job, helping mental health staff take a man from Kaitaia to Whangarei.

Instead, Sergeant Malcolm Collins found himself lunging for his pepper spray, running for his life, then using his police baton to defend himself from a man wearing a diving mask, about to strike him over the head with an axe.

All because no one had told police that just a week ago the same man had attacked someone with a metal bar.

Bystanders yelled "run" to the officer as he was chased. But he tackled the attacker, wrestled him to the ground and knocked the axe out of his hands with his baton.

It was an incident that would normally involve the armed offenders squad, he said.

The drama for Mr Collins began at 9.30am on Tuesday when he arrived at a Kaitaia house with another police officer to help mental health workers with a man, "someone known to do a runner".

The man came charging out, holding an axe over his head. Mr Collins tried unsuccessfully to use pepper spray on the man, who was wearing a diving mask.

The sergeant ran down the road and ducked behind a car while the offender darted into another street.

The other officer with Mr Collins drove ahead in the patrol car to warn the public to stay away.

It was then that the man attacked Mr Collins.

He insisted his work during Tuesday's incident was a team effort, but his actions were commended by his colleagues, including Far North area controller Inspector Mike Rusbatch and Senior Sergeant Gordon Gunn, who said what he did was " a very brave act".

* A 45-year-old Kaitaia man has appeared in the Kaitaia District Court charged with attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon and is in custody awaiting his second court appearance, which is expected to be today.