Scared gardener wants apology

An innocent Plimmerton gardener had a police gun aimed at his head as he was forced to lie face down on State Highway 1.

Despite having little resemblance to Joshua Kite, who has been on the run from police for five days since shooting at two unarmed officers in Northland, Regan Ingley was mistaken for him.

Being forced to lie in the middle of the highway with at least one police rifle aimed at his head was understandable given Kite’s actions, he said. But what riles Ingley is that after police realised they had the wrong man, he is yet to receive an apology or even a call to check that he is OK.

His ordeal happened about 11.30pm on Sunday as he was driving back from visiting a friend in Feilding in Manawatu, he said.

Driving into Otaki, he passed a truck, and soon afterwards noticed that a police car had begun to follow him. Another two police cars joined the pursuit, he said.

South of Te Horo on SH1, there was ‘‘all of a sudden, lights, sirens, three abreast across the road’’. He pulled over and was told over a loudspeaker that there were armed police and he had to get out of his car and lie on the ground.

‘‘There was a rifle trained at me. [The police officer] was like, ‘Stay calm, man, just relax’.’’

‘‘I kept saying, ‘What is going on?’. One said, ‘Never f.....g mind’.’’

The officers found his licence and realised they had the wrong man. ‘‘They stood me up and said, ‘We are looking for Joshua Kite’.’’

Realising their mistake, they told him to keep driving home. ‘‘I said, ‘I can’t drive now, I’m shaking’.’’ He said he was still ‘‘p...ed off’’. ‘‘Since then I haven’t heard anything from them. Not even a follow-up to say, ‘How are you going?’ ’’

Kite is Maori, 180cm tall, and of medium to solid build and considered armed and dangerous. Ingley is Pakeha, 167cm tall, and slim.

‘‘I can see the resemblance,’’ Ingley said sarcastically. ‘‘We both have two eyes and a nose.’’

Police would not be interviewed but in a written statement, Manawatu police area commander Sarah Stewart said armed officers stopped the car and ‘‘spoke to the occupant’’ after receiving information Kite was inside.

‘‘When it became clear the driver was not Mr Kite, he was released to go on his way.’’

Police were asked why they had not apologised and whether they disputed Ingley’s claims. A spokeswoman said they would not elaborate on their prepared statement.