Altercation at Auckland’s Westfield Newmarket involving knife

A shopper recounted a frightening incident this afternoon at Auckland’s Westfield Newmarket when a knife was brandished during a confrontation.

A police spokesperson told media officers responded to a disturbance involving a group of youths on Broadway, Newmarket around 2:25 p.m. During the altercation, one individual pulled out a knife, prompting police intervention.

“Police engaged with the youths involved and confiscated the knife,” the spokesperson confirmed. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the event.

One shopper, who chose to remain anonymous, described entering the mall with their partner and witnessing about eight teenage boys engaged in a fight outside Woolworths.

“I saw a barefoot kid holding a knife, walking towards the group that was fighting. It was really scary,” the shopper recalled.

The witness noted that the boy, dressed in a hoodie, was clearly carrying the knife in his hand.

“No one tried to intervene because it was chaotic and a knife was involved. We decided to leave to avoid getting caught up in it.”

The witness mentioned that three security guards attempted to calm the situation but were outnumbered.

“There were too many youths. One security guard was trying to break up the fight while the other two were calling for assistance,” they said.