DESPERATE BATTLE

Chronicle (Levin), 1 April 1946, Page 4

DESPERATE BATTLE

—Press Association

Police Struggle With Armed Man SEQU'EL TO ALLEGED THEFTS

By Telegraph-

NAPIER, April 1, A desperate hotel room battle , between two unarmecl Napier police officers and a man wielding a fuliy-loaded .45 automatic pistol tqck place in the Centrajt Hotel at 11.15 o'clock yesterday morning, following a series of aljeged burglaries on Saturday evening. The man was unarmed before any shots were fired- As a resuli of the burg•laries a considerable .amount of property is stated to have been stolen. . Following inquiries, Detectiv.eSergeant K. Mills and Detective AReid v/ent to the Central Hotel to interview a man who had been staying there for two or three days. Goina to the room Detective-Sey-geant Mills knocked on- the door but received no reply. He opened the door and was immediately confronted by a man who stepped back, producing an automatic pistol .as he edged almost behind the dopr. The pistol was thrust against the detective-sergeant's body. Detep-tive-Sergeant Mills suddenly knocked the pistol aside and closed with the man. Detective Reid also joined in and the three men fought their way across the roojn to the ■bed, where the weapon was wrenched from the man's hand, Detectiye Reid putting it in his pocket. Tfie man was fighting aesperately, apd some minutes eiapsed before he was finally overpowered and with other police assistance was removed ijbo the lock-up, Both police officers re.ceiv.ed a large number of abrasions and their clothing was showing the stress of the battle. This morning Keith Hugh Bennetts, aged 28, a salesman, of no fixed abode, appeared before Mr. J. | Miller, S.M., charged with breaking, entering and theft. Detective-Sereeant D. McKenzie, in asking for a remand, stated that further counts were p.ending, including Auckland and Wellington charges. . Accused was remanded to April 8.