Two arrested following a standoff with police at Pt Chevalier petrol station. Video / New Zealand Police Conduct Association
A video has emerged showing chaotic scenes as a callout to a petrol station sees a police officer hit with pepper spray before being doused with milk by a quick-thinking bystander.
Police were called to the Z station in Point Chevalier on April 30 after reports of two men fighting each other and threatening staff.
Two agitated men can be seen in a confrontation with police with one yelling into the faces of the officers.
In the struggle, one officer is accidentally sprayed by another with pepper spray.
Footage shows the sprayed officer forced to break his hold on one man to seek water and then milk from members of the public for his burning eyes.
A bystander doused a police officer in milk after he was pepper-sprayed while breaking up a fight at the Z petrol station in Pt Chevalier on April 30. Photo / Supplied
A woman helps by pouring milk into the eyes and onto the hands of the injured officer. She can be heard asking him “can you breathe” and instructing him not to touch his face.
She then holds up the bottle of milk admitting to police: “I didn’t pay for this, I’m sorry.”
Police confirmed one officer received “a small accidental burst of OC spray, but only had a mild reaction to it and did not require medical attention.”
The footage shows the situation escalating with at least six police cars and 12 officers at the scene.
The footage captured the hectic scene from the arrival of the first two police officers to the eventual arrest of the two men.
The footage also shows at least four police officers surrounding one of the handcuffed men lying on the ground alongside a car.
The other man who was pepper-sprayed can be seen slumped against a pole after struggling with and kicking at police for at least five minutes.
The offender and the police officer can be seen receiving a neutralising spray to counteract the burn from the pepper spray.
The moment one officer accidentally pepper sprays his collegue in chaotic scenes on the forecourt of Z Point Chevalier.
A witness told the Herald they were filling up with gas during the incident.
“I don’t know who had it, but the man on the ground and at least one of the police officers had been pepper sprayed,” they said.
“One of the men looked like they were holding something but I couldn’t make out what it was... there were around eight to 10 cop cars there.”
A police spokesperson said they received reports of the incident at about 6.15pm on April 30.
“At around 6.13pm, we received a report that two men were fighting each other on the premises and had also threatened workers,” police said in a statement.
Police nearby attended and officers tried to break up the fight.
“At this point, both men became aggressive towards our staff and OC spray was required to be deployed.”
Both men were known to each other and both have been charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
The men were arrested and taken into custody.
Police said there are no reports of injuries and they are making inquiries.
Kirsty Wynn is an Auckland-based journalist with more than 20 years experience in New Zealand newsrooms. She has covered everything from crime and social issues to the property market and consumer affairs.
