Photo: NZ Police
A man who pulled a machete on police and got Tasered and pepper-sprayed in response is facing a range of charges.
Police said they saw a vehicle driving down Kennedy Road in Napier with its headlights off at about 1.30am on Monday.
They lost it, but a member of the public pointed them towards Clive, a small town between Napier and Hastings.
There they saw the vehicle going twice the speed limit, but before a cordon could be set up, it crashed into a fence on Waitangi Road, Awatoto. Police said they were not in pursuit at the time.
The driver was alone and initially compliant, police said, before he pulled out a machete and chased one of the two officers.
"Both officers deployed Tasers, which were ineffective in stopping the man, before he was subdued with OC spray," Inspector Lincoln Sycamore said.
"Neither officer was injured by the weapon."
Both were stood down for the rest of their shift, and one treated for a minor injury.
The suspect was charged with dangerous driving, possession of an offensive weapon, assaulting police, injures with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, resisting police, threatening to kill and driving with excess breath alcohol.
He will appear in Hastings District Court on Monday.
"I'm incredibly proud of their efforts," Sycamore said of the two officers.
"They were faced with a dangerous and unpredictable situation where a moment's delay could have been fatal. They used training and experience to bring the alleged offender into custody without serious injury to him, or themselves…
"I am proud of the way both officers executed their duty bravely - the community is safer because of their actions."
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