Pair arrested following Rotorua Countdown incident

Rotorua Police have arrested and charged two Rotorua women with Aggravated Assault and theft following an incident at the Rotorua Countdown Supermarket on Wednesday January 4. The women, aged 30 and 50 will appear in the Rotorua District Court on Monday 16 January 2012.

A complaint had been made with Police following the incident and an investigation was underway. However, the case gained further attention yesterday after a You Tube clip capturing the incident went viral on social media.

The Acting Rotorua Area Commander, Inspector Ed van den Broek, says the incident was reported to Police and some potential suspects had been identified. He says the You Tube clip was a very useful addition to the investigation.

"Good solid Police work had helped identify the alleged offenders, but the clip provided us with some visuals allowing us to confirm this work. We don't know who was responsible for the clip and whether they were associated with the offenders, but it has certainly been helpful!

"What has been especially pleasing is the number of people who have forwarded the clip to Police via our Twitter and Facebook accounts. Many thought and hoped that we were investigating the incident, but they wanted to make sure we knew.

"This is fantastic because it means people are taking an active interest in the safety of their communities, and sharing information with us that they think is important. Social media provides a forum for them to be able to easily do that."

Inspector van den Broek says Police are unable to comment further about the incident because the case is now before the court.