Shooting suspect’s contacts in Taranaki
Morrinsville shooting suspect Rollie James Heke has an extensive criminal network he could turn to, including contacts in Taranaki, police have revealed.
The hunt for Heke was elevated to a national alert on Wednesday and officers did not believe he was in the Morrinsville area any more, Detective Superintendent Chris Page said at an afternoon press conference.
Heke has been on the run for months, after cutting off his electronic monitoring bracelet. On Sunday, the gunman got out of a red Holden after a police chase and fired a volley of shots at three police officers with a military style semiautomatic gun on Morrinsville’s Kuranui Rd.
He fled the scene, leaving behind a bulletriddled police car and his own vehicle, which had bullet holes in the windscreen.
Detective Senior Sergeant Brent Matuku, Taranaki CIB, confirmed Heke had spent time in the region.
‘‘He has definitely got a couple of ex-partners down here,’’ Matuku said.
Police were on alert in areas where Heke was known to have associates.
‘‘That’s pretty much everywhere in the North Island and the South Island have been advised.’’
About 6pm on Monday armed police swarmed a property on Studholme St - one kilometre from where the shooting happened. Tear gas canisters were fired at a home as Armed Offenders Squad members assisted in a four-hour search of the property, but Heke was not found.
When asked if any sign of Heke had been at the Morrinsville property police searched, Page said he could not talk about what was found.
‘‘In terms of exactly where he is now we can’t be definitive.’’
Page said the search was not elevated to a national level sooner because they believed he still may have been in the district.
Police said the 36-year-old was unpredictable and had an extensive criminal network he could turn to, but officers were concerned Heke could also get violent with people trying to help him.
‘‘He is also known to commit acts of violence against associates, so those who may be assisting him should consider not only the police attention focused on them but also their own safety.’’
Police would be questioning Heke’s associates across the North Island, and Page said they could face charges if they were helping him evade capture.
Police still hadn’t located the gun used to shoot at officers on the remote road, and there was an investigation into how he got the firearm.
Two people who were in the car in the moments before he shot at police had been interviewed, but neither had been charged, Page said.
‘‘Rollie is well connected to the criminal network,’’ Page said, adding Heke also had links to gangs, which was a concern.
While Waikato investigators would continue to focus on the Morrinsville shooting, officers in Wellington would co-ordinate the search effort.