Replica gun pointed at parents
Parents trying to pick up their 15-year-old daughter from a Waimate house were confronted by two men holding a replica pistol.
The armed offenders squad and South Canterbury police raided the house on High St in Waimate about 7am on Wednesday after girl’s parents contacted police concerned for their daughter’s welfare.
Sergeant Mike van der Heyden said when the girl’s parents visited the address, they were confronted by two men, one of which was holding what appeared to be a pistol.
Police located the girl, who had run away from her Timaru home on Tuesday night, in a vehicle outside the residential property unin- jured and returned her to her family.
Four men who were at the house were being spoken to by police in relation to possessing replica firearms, drugs and an air rifle, van der Heyden said.
One person had been charged with cannabis possession and had received a pre-charge warning.
No arrests had been made yet but inquiries were continuing and more charges were likely to follow, he said.
Four police cars, police dogs and members of the AOS were at the house until 10.15am.
Neighbours who did not wish to be named said there was a ‘‘ruckus’’ about 5am on nearby Wall St. One of those involved in the fight had been carrying a baseball bat and had walked into the High St house, the neighbour said.
A car parked outside the house had the words ‘‘support our local Mongrel Mob’’ written on the front door.