West Auckland police shooting: Man faces carjacking, pointing air gun at public charges

A man shot by police in West Auckland yesterday has been charged with carjacking a driver using an air rifle and pointing the airgun at other members of the public.

The 29-year-old man was listed as being set to appear in the Waitākere District Court on Thursday, though he was hospitalised after police shot him in Lincoln Rd yesterday. There will be a hospital bedside hearing tomorrow.

Court documents show he faces a swathe of charges including failing to stop for police, driving recklessly, presenting an air gun at various people and robbing a person of their vehicle keys at gunpoint.

It follows a dramatic slow-speed car pursuit ahead of rush hour on Auckland’s Northwestern Motorway which culminated in the offender being shot by police.

Police confirmed they shot an armed man yesterday afternoon who allegedly attempted to carjack two vehicles in West Auckland.

Police were first seen engaged in a slow-speed pursuit of the vehicle that was weaving across lanes and had bits of the car falling off onto the motorway.

Superintendent Shanan Gray said the incident escalated when the vehicle failed to stop for police towards the Lincoln Rd off-ramp yesterday.

“On the Lincoln Rd overbridge, the driver has got out of the vehicle with a firearm and has unsuccessfully tried to steal two other vehicles. During this period, one of those vehicles has hit the offender.”

Police said armed officers were quickly on the scene, “approaching the man and challenging him”.

“The man has not engaged with our staff and has run towards a truck and has climbed in the passenger side of the cab, resulting in the truck driver exiting out the driver’s door,” Gray said.

Armed police respond to an incident on Lincoln Rd.

A witness at the scene yesterday said traffic coming from the west was “completely gridlocked” as there was no access to Lincoln Rd. Traffic was being diverted to Te Atatū.

Police said at this stage of the incident police fired shots at the offender.

A Herald reporter at the scene said there were multiple bullet holes in a truck’s windscreen.

“Staff immediately provided first aid, and he has since been taken to hospital with gunshot injuries, however, these are not thought to be life-threatening,” Gray said.

Armed police at the Lincoln Rd incident in Henderson. Photo / Dean Purcell