Police car damaged, three arrested after road spikes used

4:37 pm on 14 October 2021

Three people have been arrested after multiple police vehicles and the police eagle helicopter were used to follow an alleged car thief.

Police operation Great North Road 14/10/21

Police at the scene where a man was handcuffed and put into a police car on Great North Road, Auckland Photo: RNZ / Richard Sutherland

What appears to have been a police chase came to an end on Great North Road in the suburb of Western Springs at around 3.30pm this afternoon.

About ten police vehicles along with the police eagle helicopter took part in the operation.

Damaged police car on Great North Road, Grey Lynn, 14/10/21.

The damaged police car. Photo: RNZ

An unmarked police car at the scene has damage to panels on the drivers side, suggesting it may have been damaged during the suspected chase.

An RNZ reporter at the scene saw a man handcuffed on the side of the road.

He was later put in the back of the police car.

Traffic on the usually busy Great North Road was stopped for a while but is now moving again.

A police spokesperson said just after 2pm, police were called after a person had their vehicle stolen in Massey.

The Eagle helicopter located the vehicle and tracked it to Westgate.

"The offender has then got into another waiting vehicle with two other occupants in it. Eagle has continued to monitor the situation and police have been able to spike the car.

"They have then managed stop the vehicle on Great North Road in Grey Lynn and three people have been taken into custody. They are assisting police with our enquiries and we cannot rule out the possibility of charges being laid."

Police operation Great North Road 14/10/21.

Police on Great North Road, Grey Lynn. Photo: RNZ / Richard Sutherland