Man tasered after throwing rocks at police from creek
Monday 5 October 2026 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated In this story Dunedin Hospital
A 32-year-old man faces multiple charges after allegedly gate-crashing a Dunedin party and assaulting an occupant. Police say the man hid in the Water of Leith and threw rocks at officers before being tasered.
Key facts
4 facts
- The incident occurred around 2pm on Sunday at a Leith Street address.
- The suspect is a 32-year-old male.
- The man was tasered after refusing to leave the Water of Leith.
- Charges include assaulting first responders, a crime that recently saw expanded legal definitions.
The full story
1 min read · 2 outlets
A 32-year-old man faces multiple charges after allegedly throwing rocks at police from the Water of Leith. The incident began around 2pm on Sunday when the man entered a party on Leith Street and assaulted an occupant.
Police located the man in the nearby creek, where he threatened officers and threw rocks. Senior Sergeant Iain Notman said, "After officers negotiated with him to leave the water and stop throwing rocks, he continued to behave in a threatening manner. As a result, a taser was deployed and the man was taken into custody".
Following his arrest, the man experienced a medical event and required an ambulance. During this time, he allegedly assaulted both police and the attending paramedics.
The man was taken to Dunedin Hospital under police guard. He has been charged with burglary, common assault, wilful damage, threatening to kill, resisting police, and assaulting first responders.
How it developed
- Mon 5 Oct, 3:13pmReport two notes that new laws passed in August expanded the definition of assaulting first responders to include paramedics, firefighters, and prison officers.
Where reports differ
- The reports differ on the man's expected court appearance, with one stating he was expected in court on Monday and the other stating he would appear at a later date.
- One report spells the Senior Sergeant's name as Iain Notman while the other uses Ian Notman.
Compiled from reports by Stuff and 1News.
