AOS in action twice in one morning
Christchurch property stormed, man arrested
Armed police have once again been a presence in Christchurch, this time storming a property and arresting a man for breaching his bail.
It was the second of two armed offenders squad (AOS) callouts in the city yesterday, and came less than a week after a police shootout with an armed suspect in Richmond prompted a districtwide arming order, which ended on Sunday.
In this incident, officers were searching for a 41-year-old man in Addington, near the corner of Harman and Cotterill streets, about noon.
Police said the AOS presence was not related to an assault on a man a block away on Monday night.
A spokeswoman said there was a warrant out for the man. Before going entering a Cotterill St property, the officers officers called for a man to come out. According to a protographer for The Press , who was at the scene, they yelled ‘‘this is your last opportunity, come out’’. They emerged with a man in handcuffs.
He was taken into custody and was scheduled to appear in the Christchurch District Court yesterday charged with breaching bail conditions.
Earlier yesterday, armed police were seen in Avonhead, after emergency services were called to a property on Avonhead Rd about 7am. Part of the street was cordoned off near Yaldhurst Rd as a precaution. Police spoke to the person involved and ensured they were appropriately cared for, a spokeswoman said.
The Press has asked police how often the AOS is being called out in Christchurch, but they are yet to respond.
Frontline police have said they are coming across firearms more regularly than ever before. Police have started a national project logging firearms threats against officers.
Police Association president Chris Cahill earlier said officers were finding firearms in the hands of criminals on a daily basis throughout the country, with weekly reports of offenders confronting officers with guns.
On Monday, a man was taken to Christchurch Hospital with moderate injuries after he was attacked on the corner of Harman and Selwyn streets about 11pm. It was unclear whether a weapon was used, police said. A spokeswoman said three people were believed to be involved. ‘‘We are making inquiries to locate the offenders. It appears the parties were known to each other.’’