Police confiscated shirt from man who rushed man to hospital after crash during gang crackdown

Police have seized a Killer Beez T-shirt after tracking down a gang member at a hospital. (photo from the archive)
Photo: New Zealand Police

Police tracked the motorcycle rider to a hospital in south Auckland and found a staff member wearing a Killer Beez T-shirt.

Emergency services responded to an incident in Manurewa on Sunday evening in which an off-road motorcycle collided with a car. According to police, the driver of the motorcycle, a gang member, fled the scene.

Police tracked him to a local hospital, where he was found with the Killer Beez member patched up.

The man was wearing a Killer Beez T-shirt but covered it up when he entered the hospital.

After speaking with police, the man handed over the T-shirt to officers, but no arrests were made.

The incident comes as at least three more people have been arrested in the past 24 hours for publicly displaying gang patches.

A gang law that went into effect last week makes it illegal to display gang patches in public places.

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Assistant Commissioner Paul Basham said police had arrested three people in Christchurch, Gisborne and west Auckland as part of Operation Nickel.

• Police called to the scene of a family harm incident in New Brighton on Sunday found a man wearing a Killer Beez T-shirt, which was confiscated. A 39-year-old Christchurch man will appear in court on November 28 charged with publicly displaying gang insignia.
• Also on Sunday, Gisborne police responded to reports of a vehicle driving erratically in Elgin.

The vehicle was found and the driver identified as a patched Mangu Kaha member who had previously been seen wearing Mangu Kaha trousers in Whakatane. A 27-year-old man will appear in the Gisborne District Court on Monday charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of an offensive weapon and publicly displaying gang insignia.

• The 61-year-old Western Head Hunters president was charged with publicly displaying gang insignia on Monday and will appear in the Waitakere District Court on November 29.

He was identified as one of five motorcyclists wearing stripes in the Wellsford area in the early hours of November 21.

Basham said police were encouraged by the level of compliance with the new law.

“For example, in Whakatane over the weekend, Manga Kahu members visiting the hui decided not to wear their badges or display any insignia or regalia.”

As a result, police made no arrests in connection with violations of the Gang Act.

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