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Police were called in to deal with a gang altercation at the Eastern Suburbs Tavern, in Glengarry, Invercargill, on Saturday night.
A gun was reportedly drawn during a gang fight at an Invercargill pub and four men have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Patrons and staff at the Eastern Suburbs Tavern, also known as the Glengarry Pub, were shocked after an altercation broke out between rival gangs and a firearm broke out in the pub on Saturday night.
A police spokesman said four men had been arrested in connection with the incident, which occurred at around 10:20 p.m.
The people involved left the scene before police arrived, but the Armed Criminal Squad was called in to execute a search warrant at a Lorn St home at 6 p.m. Sunday, where the men were arrested.
Invercargill Licensing Trust CEO Chris Ramsay said the trust was disappointed by the event, but pleased with the swift action by the police.
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“We have a zero tolerance policy towards gangs,” he said.
Ramsay said the men were not wearing gang patches at the time of the alleged incident and that he was not sure which gang they belonged to.
Trading on the night had been stable, so there would have been quite a few customers who witnessed the altercation, and they were “understandably nervous,” he said.
Ramsay said his first priority when he learned of the incident was making sure there was support for staff and customers.
For some, that could mean taking time off or professional help, although none of their staff members had indicated they needed the latter, Ramsay said.
ILT staff received training on how to deal with situations like this, and were satisfied with the way the incident on Saturday night was handled.
Kavinda Herath / Things
Invercargill Licensing Trust CEO Chris Ramsay was pleased by the swift action by police following a gang-related incident at one of their locations over the weekend. [File photo]
While confident that strong systems were in place, ILT would be reviewing its processes for dealing with gang-related events.
ILT’s zero-tolerance policy meant that gang patches were not allowed in its stores, but staff were encouraged to ask customers to leave if their gang affiliation became apparent, Ramsay said.
“It is incredibly challenging. That [incident’s like this] it’s not something we want to happen in our businesses. “
He was unable to share further details about the altercation on Saturday night as ILT was working with police, but Ramsay said it was a good thing they didn’t shoot each other.
He also said the related fights took place outside the tavern that same night.
A police spokesman said the four men, ages 18, 21, 22 and 35, appeared in court Monday on charges of firearms-related offenses in connection with the incident and items seized during Sunday’s search.
They have been placed in pre-trial detention and are expected to reappear on Wednesday.
Two other men will appear charged with assaulting police, disqualified driving and bail violation issues in connection with the Lorn St search on Sunday, the spokesman said.
