No police apology for mistaken identity
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.
Police were shouting at him to move towards them backwards with his hands in the air.
When he reached police, he was made to lie face down on the ground.
‘‘They were yelling at me, ‘Who is in the car?’.’’ Nobody else was in the car.
‘‘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. 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.
‘‘Given the seriousness of the events surrounding the ongoing search for Mr Kite, and considering the fact he was believed to be armed, staff responded appropriately and swiftly in the interests of protecting the public by stopping the vehicle and questioning the driver.
‘‘It was a very short time period until his identity was confirmed, and at that point the senior officer spoke with the driver and explained the situation and reasons for tactics, and throughout ensured his welfare was taken care of.
‘‘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.