Two men arrested after a high-speed police chase near Cambridge last night remain in hospital under police guard.
A member of the public alerted Waikato police to a speeding Holden VX Commodore Clubsport saloon after 10pm last night. A chase reaching speeds of up to 180km/h ensued, before the vehicle containing 34-year-old John Koteka and 31-year-old Alex Tereora crashed.
A police communications officer had given an order to abandon the pursuit, but the vehicle had already crashed.
"As he completd his sentence you could hear in the background commentary from the [pursuing officers] that the vehicle had crashed," says Hamilton area commander Greg Nicholls.
They were arrested in connection with three aggravated robberies in the Auckland Domain and on Mt Eden on February 17.
At least five shots were fired into the ground during one of the robberies on the mountain’s summit.
READ MORE: Pair sought over Auckland robberies
The fleeing car crashed after driving over road spikes deployed near the intersection of State Highway 1 and Airport Rd, and the car's two occupants then fled on foot.
Police say they fired a warning shot with a pistol before arresting the two men – one of whom was found strangling a police dog involved in the pursuit.
The dog, seven-and-a-half year old Louie, was described by police as being well liked. He was due to retire soon.
READ MORE: Dog attack after police pursuit crash
3 News
source: newshub archive
