CCTV footage helps prosecute shooting in Auckland downtown
This article has a great example of a textbook CCTV setup providing footage for evidence in a prosecution. A feud between two gangs, the Head Hunters and the Mongols, escalated into a shooting at a hotel in the Auckland Viaduct. Note: footage is taken from the NZ Herald article.
What was the crime that happened?
A gunman from the Head Hunters gang drew his pistol and fired off shots at a rival gang member from the Mongols gang. This was done at the Sofitel Hotel in Auckland, in the Viaduct. Luckily no one was hurt, however it happened in broad daylight at 9AM on a Thursday morning.
How CCTV helped serve justice
The footage from security cameras did its job perfectly. It captured the crime, showing a man shooting at another, from multiple angles. We’ve drawn red arrows on the footage to identify the shooter in the various frames.
The target, a member of the Mongols gang, was sitting in a separate room with an employee of the hotel, having a discussion.
After the Head Hunters passed the room, one of them turned around and fired off some shots. The Mongols member and the employee luckily were not hit, but instantly jumped out of their chairs and fled the room.
The footage then captures the shooter running out of the hotel, and finally getting into a pickup truck used as a getaway vehicle.
In the end, the shooter was charged and sentenced to prison. Some of his associates have been as well. This security camera footage was instrumental as it provided total, undeniable proof of the crime and identity of the perpetrators.
Conclusion
Hopefully most of our readers are not facing shootings at their property. However this case, despite not being a classic burglary, is an excellent example of how CCTV fights crime.
The security cameras captured footage of the crime, from multiple angles. It also captured a getaway vehicle and its license plate/registration number. Capturing all the movements and actions of the perpetrator to provide solid, unbreakable proof in court.