Subj : Gang-linked Hastings van shooting: Police reviewing CCTV
To   : All
From : News Person
Date : Mon Apr 08 2024 01:44 pm

Hawke's Bay police are following "strong lines of inquiry" after a van was
shot at during a rugby game on Saturday afternoon, with the violence thought
to be gang-related.


Police were called to Hawke's Bay Rugby Club at Bill Mathewson Park in
Hastings due to reports of a "disorder".


"Police arrived and separated the parties, where the group was dispersed."


Area Commander Lincoln Sycamore said a vehicle arrived back at the venue a
short time later and reported they had been shot at.


"What we think has happened is that the people in the van have been driving
through Hastings when people have taken it upon themselves to chase after the
vehicle and discharge a firearm at it."


He said police are "appalled" at this type of behaviour, describing it as
"absolutely unacceptable", "dangerous" and "reckless".

"There were a number of people in the van... none of them were injured
thankfully... I'd say more by good luck than good management.


"I can't imagine what those people must have been feeling and seeing inside
that vehicle when this event happened."


Sycamore said police were following "good, strong lines of inquiry" in
relation to the incident and that a review of CCTV in the area was underway.


"We're really in the early stages of trying to understand who was involved
and what their connections are."


He appealed to the community to provide any information.

Hawke's Bay Rugby Union boss Jay Campbell told 1News Saturday's game between
Tamatea and YMP was abandoned because of "gang intimidation".


He said it was "nothing to do with anything on field", but that there were
gang affiliations among the spectators.


The YMP club captain and coach described the scene as awful. He told 1News he
was driving the team van as it was shot at and rammed.


He hopes to have a frank conversation with Hawke's Bay Rugby soon, but said
the team are still ready to lace up their boots for next week's game.


Nui Bartlett, who is associated with the rugby club, said he was at his home
near the park on Saturday afternoon when his partner let him know there was a
commotion going on.


"I went over there to make sure everyone was safe," he told 1News.


"When I got over there, there was quite a large gang presence and it didn't
look too inviting."


He said a lot of people that were there weren't there just to watch the rugby.


"When something like this happens it's totally out of our hands and we get
tarnished with it, like it's our fault.


"If violence is the only reason for coming down, the message would be to just
stay home, or if you really want to be down there, put on a jersey, come to
training and have a game," Bartlett said.


Another nearby resident Nicholas Richards said he heard a commotion down the
street and saw a lot of police cars.


"As a wise person once said to me, we need to calm the farm and we need to
work together as a community," he said.


Richards added there has been an uptick of violent incidents in the community
recently.


Greens, ACT leaders react

Green Party co-leader Chl”e Swarbrick said violence is "completely
unacceptable" in any community across the country.


She said she was wary of political rhetoric that's "tough on crime, tough on
gangs, but actually very light on evidence".


"If we want to reduce people getting involved in gang lifestyles, then we
need to reduce poverty, we need to reduce inequality, we need to give young
people pathways to get involved in society and fix the social contract."


ACT deputy leader Brooke van Velden described the incident as "scary" and
"unacceptable".


"Everybody has been to a rugby game in New Zealand and walked away feeling
happy or sad for the team that's won or lost, but you don't expect to run
away in fear that you're going to be shot at."


She said it was the most recent example of crime impacting communities.

"What I think we need to be clear on though is we don't have all the facts on
this particular case and who particularly was involved."


The Government would be "hard on crime", she told Breakfast, citing policies
such as the ban on gang insignia.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A44 2020/02/04 (Windows/64)
 * Origin: S.W.A.T.S BBS Telnet swatsbbs.ddns.net:2323 (63:10/102)

.