VIOLENCE VICTIMS HOME

Waimarino Bulletin, Issue 6, 26 August 1988, Page 3

VIOLENCE VICTIMS HOME

Waimarino Traffic Officer Ian Harrison is recuperating at home and Ohakune resident Peter Sutton is walking around with a bullet in his leg after the two were attacked near Owhango on Tuesday night. Two men had viciously assaulted Mr Harrison as_ he began to write a speeding ticket. Following this one of the men forced him to drive while he held a microphone cord around the officer's neck. Then the incident Mr Sutton describes below occurred. One of the two offenders gave himself up in Palmerston yesterday and police said last night they were following a strong line of enquiry over the other assailant. Mr Sutton went to Mr Harrison's aid when he saw him under attack by a man, near Owhango. Thursday night Mr Sutton, who describes himself as a house father, talked about the incident to , reporters in a once-only press conference. Mr Sutton is known to many people in the Waimarino from his time as Turoa Ski Patrol leader. He said he and his wife and baby were travelling through Owhango where he saw the Ministry of Transport car, which was moving. He saw a uniformed man roll out of the driver's door of the car and get to his feet. A man Mr Sutton described as " appearing very powerful , heavy set" then began attacking the officer outside the car. They separated and the officer waved Mr Sutton's car down, though he was already stopping. The attacker then punched the officer and threw him to the ground, kicking him. Mr Sutton said by then he was out of his car running towards them yelling something like "stop it" or "knock it off". He said another car arrived, and that he first thought it was a member of the public stopping to help. However, the driver yelled at the first offender, then produced a pistol, which he waved at the ofTurn page 5