Three people have been injured in an “altercation” at Auckland’s Newmarket Motel this afternoon, with a witness saying one victim “looked like his face had been sliced with a knife”.
Blood splatters could be seen on the ground as police cordoned off the area.
Witnesses have told the Herald they believed it was a stabbing.
A St John spokeswoman said one person was taken to Auckland Hospital in a serious condition and two others were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
Police responded to a report of an “altercation” at an address on Manukau Rd, Epsom about 1pm.
Inquiries are still ongoing and police’s Criminal Investigation Branch is at the scene trying to work out what happened, the spokesman said.
Frightened Manukau Rd residents stood on the street looking at the scene after hearing sirens.
One woman, who said she had been staying at the motel, said she no longer felt safe.
It is understood some motel units were being used as emergency housing.
Epsom MP David Seymour said the incident was something nobody wanted to see in their neighbourhood.
Seymour said it was reassuring police were on the scene quickly.
“It’s also critical that whoever is at fault here will suffer some consequences because I think people are very frustrated with police catching people, and they’re not facing proprotiate consequences for the harm they’re causing to our community,” he said.
“We’re facing widespread lawlessness up and down New Zealand,” Seymour said.
An ambulance and rapid response vehicle rushed to the scene at 12.58pm, a spokeswoman for St John said.
A nearby Hell Pizza employee said he watched police chasing a man and “tackling” him on the corner of Domett Ave and taking him into custody.
He said the man had tattoos all over his face. He believed the man was homeless.
”We get lots of homeless coming into the store asking for free food,” the employee said.
”There’s so many of them, I’m not sure if he was one of them.”
”It looked like his face had been sliced with a knife. He was real cut up, his face and stuff,” the witness said.
“[The offender] was wearing a black Puma hoodie and shorts, but wasn’t wearing shoes.”
Another woman was seen with injuries sitting on the ground outside the motel talking to police.
A pool of blood was visible on the footpath beside a bus stop in front of the motel.
A witness working nearby said he saw who he believed to be the perpetrator lying down on the road after being apprehended by police.
“There’s always stuff happening on this road,” a resident said.
At least three police patrol cars and two ambulance vehicles are outside the motel and the area is cordoned off as multiple emergency personnel respond.
Three police officers could be seen standing outside the Dragon’s Gourmet restaurant and motel.
A police spokesperson said police received a report that someone was acting suspiciously on Manukau Rd about midday, but took no further action when they couldn’t get further information from the person who made the report.
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