Anguish as hunt goes on

A father who was mown down in a hit-and-run in Christchurch was remembered as a ‘‘humble’’ man who would ‘‘give you the shirt off his back’’ by friends as police stepped up their hunt for his killer.

Dean Amies, 46, was run down by the driver of a stolen van on Shaw Ave in New Brighton on Wednesday as he waved to his teenage son across the road. The pair had reconnected just weeks prior, friends said.

The driver, whom police believe is Black Power member Liam Strickland, 21 – a criminal who was on the run after jumping bail while facing a litany of charges – remains at large.

Armed officers arrested six people yesterday after carrying out a series of raids across the city as part of the homicide inquiry.

All nine properties raided were either connected to associates of Strickland or had links to the Black Power gang.

Acting district commander Mike Johnson has authorised all officers in Canterbury to be temporarily armed, warning Strickland was considered dangerous.

In New Brighton, there was anguish and anger among Amies’ friends in the homeless community left reeling from his death, their grief magnified by the fact he had recently begun rebuilding his relationship with his 17-year-old son Marshall.

‘‘He was awesome,’’ one said as Reverend John Parker offered words of comfort in the corner of a car park off Hawke St, where Amies lived in his van. ‘‘He was humble . . . He would take the shirt off his back and give it to you if you needed it.’’

A retired nurse, who volunteers at a nearby community food bank, described how she fought to save Amies after he was knocked down.

Jenny Stewart, from Sumner, said she hurried to Shaw Ave after hearing people screaming.

After offering her medical expertise, Stewart knelt by Amies’ side and, with the help of a paramedic, turned him onto his back to try to resuscitate him.

‘‘The paramedic did what they do to try to save him and I did CPR for about 10 minutes until they told me to stop.’’

The incident unfolded shortly before 2pm on Wednesday when police chased a car in New Brighton after the driver ignored their orders to stop.

Officers called off the pursuit because of the danger it posed but eventually stopped the car and arrested two people.

A third person, believed to be Strickland, fled after stealing a nearby white van and ramming a police dog van, before running down Amies.

Stuff has learned he was already on the run after cutting off his electronically-monitored bracelet. He was on bail facing several charges and police had three warrants out for his arrest.