A six-hour standoff took place in Mosgiel between police and a man who had locked himself in his garage with a running chainsaw. Critic is astounded at how long it took for the chainsaw to run out of fuel.
After being called to a domestic incident on Murray St at 8pm on 22 August, police were forced to negotiate with the 30-year-old man, who had argued with neighbours prior to barricading himself in his house. The man appeared in the Dunedin District Court the following day, charged with assault.
In an unexpected turn of events, as of 29 August the Armed Offenders Squad has failed to locate a bag containing tear gas and spare canisters that were taken to the scene. A police spokesperson said that “the bag [fell] from a vehicle in the vicinity of Street Andrew St and the Southern Motorway during an AOS callout to a domestic incident.”
According to Inspector Greg Sparrow, the canisters – labelled “FLAMELESS TRI-CHAMBER CS” – pose no threat to the public if not tampered with. The cartridges resemble large shotgun shells, with distinctive blue text printed on a shiny aluminium exterior. Inspector Sparrow has urged anyone who finds the canisters to return them to Dunedin Central Police Station on Great King Street with “no questions asked.”
As extensive inquiries into the disappearance have proven fruitless, an enquiry into what happened is now taking place.
“An internal investigation is under way to determine exactly how the error occurred and to ensure it does not happen again,” confirmed Sparrow.
CS gas has recently been utilised by the Turkish police in efforts to disperse protestors in Istanbul. Its effects can range from a mild watering of the eyes to vomiting, immobilisation and temporary blindness.
Mosgiel Chainsaw Canister
