Covid-19: Supermarket customer spits at guard after being refused entry

Saturday, 21 August 2021

Jacinda Ardern announces that NZ will stay at alert level 4 until midnight Tuesday.

A security guard at a Christchurch supermarket is being tested for Covid-19 after a customer spat at him after they were refused entry.

Police confirmed a 58-year-old man has been charged with assault, resisting arrest, threatening to kill, and has been given an infringement notice for a Covid-19 related breach.

Countdown general manager Kiri Hannifin said the incident took place at Countdown Church Corner on Friday – police said it was 6.30pm – when a customer, who had previously been trespassed for abusive behaviour, was refused entry.

Police confirmed the incident, which happened at 6.30pm, and said the man had refused to wear a mask in store.

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The incident happened at Countdown Church Corner in Christchurch.

Said Hannifin: “This customer spat on the security guard and refused to leave the store. The police attended and apprehended the customer.”

The security guard would be tested for Covid-19, Hannifin said.

'It is always incredibly disappointing when our team are subject to abusive behaviour, but it is particularly distressing when this involves spitting at a time when the country is experiencing a community outbreak of Covid-19.”

Superintendent Lane Todd, Metro Commander Canterbury, said police took seriously people spitting on or at others, and that they were putting the health and safety of the public at risk.

The man was injured during his arrest, and was taken to hospital for treatment for his leg.

From midnight on Wednesday, masks have been mandatory for people over the age of 12 when using essential services, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced.

Countdown will be enforcing the mask mandate but will not if someone is becoming aggressive, on advice from police, Hannifin earlier said.

“Customers will see signage reminding them that masks are a condition of entry and we will also have masks available for customers to help encourage this.

“If customers become aggressive and refuse to wear a mask, the advice from the police is that our supermarket team members should not enforce this as it is simply too dangerous.

“We strongly hope that all New Zealanders will do the right thing and wear masks so that our team isn’t put in this position.”