Waitara homicide: Neighbour describes life-saving attempt after 17-year-old allegedly stabbed in Taranaki

17-year-old Te Omeka Akariri-Buckley died in the early hours of Tuesday following an altercation in Waitara, Taranaki.

• Te Omeka Pairana Akariri-Buckley, 17, died after after an alleged stabbing in Taranaki during an altercation.
• Rakai Jacob Thompson, 25, has been charged with Akariri-Buckley’s murder.
• A neighbour performed CPR on Akariri-Buckley but he later died in hospital from his injuries.

A heroic neighbour has described her efforts to revive a teenage boy after he was allegedly fatally stabbed during an early morning altercation in Taranaki.

Te Omeka Pairana Akariri-Buckley, a promising 17-year-old rugby league player from Bell Block, Taranaki, was critically injured in the fight in Waitara about 12.45am on Tuesday.

He later died in hospital from his injuries.

A nearby neighbour, who asked not to be named, was alerted to the incident after hearing cries of help coming from the pitch black-street.

“I was just watching TV in bed and then I just heard lots of screaming and yelling. I opened the door and listened to see if it was just random people arguing or if it was serious. It was serious.

“I heard them [a group of people with Akariri-Buckley] screaming out for help so I just got changed and ran out there.”

The nearby neighbour said Akariri-Buckley was in a “real bad state”, with excessive amounts of blood loss, so she took over the scene.

“I lay him down on the grass and just tried to find where the blood was coming out from and tried to stop the bleeding. The was so much blood,” she said.

She added it was pouring with rain and there was next to no light on the street, making it difficult to see if Akariri-Buckley had more than one puncture wound.

Te Omeka Akariri-Buckley, 17, died in the early hours of Tuesday following an altercation in Waitara, Taranaki.

“He wasn’t breathing and he was really limp. The only thing I thought left to do was start CPR.

“The life and colour just drained from him. There was blood all over me, it was just a nightmare.”

The neighbour said it felt like hours before emergency services arrived at the scene, but it was about 15 minutes after she was alerted to the incident.

“There was nobody else that came to help until the emergency services got there.”

She said she was surprised when she received a call saying Akariri-Buckley had made it to the hospital and into surgery, but he passed away a short time later.

“He was just a baby and that’s what really hurt, finding out who he was and how old he was. It was just really hard to know that he was just a baby, especially being a mum to three young babies, it was really heartbreaking.”

She urged everyone to undergo a first aid course or some kind of training for emergency situations, because “you don’t think something like this could ever happen to you until it does”.

Akariri-Buckley was transported to hospital in a critical condition, but later died from his injuries.

The neighbour said she had been bombarded with messages of support after her efforts.

“Everyone has been messaging me and calling me a hero, saying that I did so well and they’re proud of me, but at the same time you can’t help thinking that it could have gone better. It really was the worst outcome.”

She said she had planned to meet Akariri-Buckley’s family on Thursday.

A tribute posted to Facebook on Tuesday night by Taranaki Whānui Māori Rugby League described Akariri-Buckley as a “polite and respectful” teenager who had a love for rugby league.

“He loved this game and [it] showed every time he donned the jersey,” the post read.

“What always stuck out was how polite and respectful he was to all the adults of our game, something you don’t often get from rangatahi all the time.”

Akariri-Buckley’s former school in Bell Block, Puketapu, said he was a “much loved student” and a regular visitor even after moving on to high school.

“Te Omeka started his schooling at Puketapu as a 5-year-old and we were privileged to be part of his learning journey at school until his graduation as a Year 8 in 2020.

“He will be missed. Our thoughts go out to his whānau and friends,” the tribute read.

Police said a post-mortem examination of Akariri-Buckley would be completed in the coming days.

Rakai Jacob Thompson, 25, was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with the murder of Akariri-Buckley.

He briefly appeared in New Plymouth District Court on Tuesday afternoon on the charge.

He was remanded into custody by consent ahead of his next appearance on August 16 in the High Court.

Taranaki area investigations manager, Detective Senior Sergeant Debra Gower, said police remained at the address on Wednesday as they conducted a scene examination, which was due to conclude yesterday.

“A post-mortem will be completed in the coming days,” Gower said.

“Police would like to extend our sympathies to his family at this incredibly difficult time, and we will remain in contact with them over the course of the investigation and trial.

“We are continuing to piece together the events that occurred and would like to hear from anyone who has information that could assist our inquiries.”

Anyone who can assist is asked to contact police on 105 and reference the file number 240730/5332.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.