Stuff Digital Edition

How the Levin standoff began with a news call and ended in flames

VIRGINIA FALLON

AS armed police surrounded the property next door to hers, Tyla Porteous wanted to give the man holed up inside a hug.

He just wants to live in his house, she said of the man believed to be Paul Smith who, between Thursday and Friday night, barricaded himself inside a Levin property, claiming to have weapons and chemicals on hand.

‘‘I just want to give him a cuddle . . .,’’ Porteous said. ‘‘Paul is a good neighbour.’’

He was a quiet and reserved person without many family members, said Chris Clark who used to mow his lawns. Smith kept to himself and had installed security cameras after a violent break-in about three years ago.

The standoff that saw 80 people evacuated from their homes and came to a fiery end on Friday night began on Thursday with a call to Stuff’s Manawatu¯ newsroom.

Smith said he was about to be evicted from the Bledisloe St property and would resist attempts to remove him. Armed police and emergency services responded, blocking off streets and evacuating about 80 nearby residents.

From within the house, Smith took to social media, airing his grievances and sharing news coverage of the incident.

Dozens of those evacuated found shelter at a welfare centre set up in the town’s library while others lingered at the cordons concerned for pets they’d had to leave behind. Some residents were put up for the night at a campground while at least one woman and her partner slept in their car.

Kathleen Clarke told Stuff on Friday morning her 2-year-old son had been staying with her sister on Bledisloe St and was still inside the cordon. She said her sister wasn’t door-knocked to be evacuated and when she realised what was happening she was told by police it was too late: nobody was allowed to leave or enter the cordon.

Police helped Clarke retrieve her son shortly after but her sister stayed in the cordon because she didn’t want to leave her dogs.

While police described the situation as a self-harm incident, Manawatu¯ area commander Inspector Sarah Stewart offered few other details during a media conference on Friday afternoon.

She said police were taking the incident ‘‘very seriously’’ but gave no information on whether Smith was armed or how police intended to end the standoff. A specialist, highly-skilled negotiation team had been communicating with Smith, she said, and they were working hard to resolve the incident without injury, damage, or death.

Shortly after 7pm on Friday, onlookers Danny and Jacob

Hoeta said they saw orange flashes, followed by smoke billowing from the house and a smell of burning. Fire crews turned their hoses on the property lit up by spotlights and emergency services entered the house once the flames were out.

The people who had gathered outside to watch were quiet as a stretcher appeared and shortly afterwards residents were told by police it was safe to return to their homes.

Emergency services said a man inside the house was taken to Palmerston North Hospital in critical condition, though by yesterday morning a police statement said he had moderate injuries.

NEWS

en-nz

2022-08-07T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-07T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281539409724238

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