Man sought after officer cut in struggle

QUEENSTOWN police are searching for a man after one of their officers was injured in an encounter on Thursday night.

Otago Lakes area commander Inspector Olaf Jensen said in a media statement the officer suffered two ‘‘large lacerations’’ to his arm from a kitchen knife while trying to grab the man as he climbed a fence in Thompson St.

Police were in the area on an unrelated matter when the officer saw the man acting suspiciously by a cabin near the Man St camping ground about 11.30pm.

As the officer approached, the man ‘‘immediately fled’’ and ran west along Thompson St, refusing orders to stop.

The officer grabbed the man’s arm as he climbed a fence between Thompson and Brunswick Sts, dislodging the knife, but the offender broke free and ran down Brunswick St towards the resort’s CBD.

The officer noticed his injuries only after returning to his patrol car, and found the knife when he returned to the fence. He needed eight stitches for the lacerations.

Insp Jensen said it was a serious incident involving an officer injured ‘‘while performing his duty to protect the public’’.

‘‘No officer expects to come to work and become injured in this way, and we want to hold this offender to account.’’

The offender was 170180cm tall, and wearing a dark beanie, a dark longsleeved hoodie and dark pants.