Police have chased a man into a flooded river and arrested him in relation to the theft of the Lord Ernest Rutherford statue in Brightwater of Friday.
Wakefield officer constable Jamie White took action after the man jumped into the flooded Wai-iti River to evade arrest, which has seen the statue recovered.
Police arrested and charged the 35-year-old man in relation to the theft. He has been charged with theft and wilful damage and is due to appear in the Nelson District Court on Monday.
A Police spokesperson says the statue was recovered today and it will be taken back to its rightful place at the memorial site.
Lord Ernest Rutherford is one of the most highly regarded New Zealanders and a great scientist of the 20th century.
“The memorial honours his legacy and is frequented by both locals and tourists alike, so to see the memorial damaged in such a senseless way was extremely upsetting for Police and the Brightwater community,” says the spokesperson. “We were disappointed to see that his memorial was treated in such a way.
“Constable White took direct action to apprehend the man after he jumped into the flooding Wai-iti River to evade arrest. Neither party were injured, and they were able to make themselves back to shore safely.”
Police would like to thank the local community for their assistance in providing information to Police which ultimately helped us find the statue.
