By Peter de Graaf of RNZ
A Northland man has described the terror of having a gun fired over his head during an armed robbery at an electronics store.
The man, who did not want to be named, went into Noel Leeming in Waipapa, near
Although one was carrying a long-barrelled firearm of some sort and another an axe, the seriousness of the situation did not dawn on him immediately.
“We all thought it was a bit of a joke at first. We even laughed, we thought it was a tasteless prank.
“As they came in, they did the usual swearing and screaming at everyone to get down on the ground. Then the guy with the rifle came over to the counter where we were and fired it over our heads.”
The three customers then hid behind the washing machines but when one of the robbers noticed one had a cell phone, he pointed the firearm at them and yelled, “Put the f***ing phone down and no one gets hurt”.
“Then they smashed some cabinets, took what they wanted and were gone.”
It later transpired the shot fired over their heads was a blank but they did not know that at the time.
The man said they had coped well at the time, his mother included, but had woken up during the night with visions of a balaclava-clad man standing over them with a gun.
A spokesman said police were investigating the robbery.
Several display cabinets were damaged and one staff member was assaulted in the raid.
The victim was checked by St John Ambulance staff but was not seriously injured.
“However, this was a distressing incident for all those in the store at the time,” the spokesman said.
Enquiries were continuing to establish exactly what was taken in the robbery, and to find the offenders.
Anyone with information should call police on the non-emergency police line 105 and quote file number 240804/3523.
Information could also be passed anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.