Shots fired at Colonel Malone?s | Taranaki News | Local News in Taranaki

Onlookers stood in disbelief as a raging gunman opened fire on a local bar in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The shooting could have been prompted by an earlier event at Colonel Malone's Bar and Restaurant when the shooter was involved in a scrap and was asked to leave.

Stratford Police Senior Sergeant Shaun Keenan said the man walked home intoxicated, loaded a .22 rifle with a silencer, hopped into his car and headed back to the bar. The gunman drove past the bar and fired a single shot, then did a U-turn and fired a second shot.

At this time, the bar had closed and patrons were on their way home. More than 20 people escaped fire as the bullets scraped the bar's facade.

A local policeman then arrived at the scene and the gunman pointed his rifle at the police officer.

The gunman did not fire at the policeman, but made a hasty getaway to his home on Regan Street.

The policeman followed the shooter back to his residence and used the patrol car to block the driveway to stop the shooter from being able to drive away.

The Armed Defenders Squad from New Plymouth arrived at the scene at approximately 6am and stormed the property.

Police said there was a brief struggle before the man was arrested. Several firearms, ammunition and drugs were found inside the residence.

The 24-year-old Stratford male was charged with discharging a firearm, using a firearm against a policeman, unlawful possession of a .22 rifle and a .303 rifle, unlawful possession of a baton, possession of cannabis, possession of cannabis oil, possession of cannabis utensils.

The alleged gunman appeared at the New Plymouth District Court on Monday February 5.

Johnathon Edward Gleeson entered no plea during his appearance before Justice of the Peace, Tom Ryder. Mr Gleeson faces 11 charges and was remanded in custody by consent until he will reappear at the Hawera District Court on February 13.

One Colonel Malone's staff member was witness to the incident and finds it hard to believe that something of this magnitude could have happened in Stratford.

"There was a scuffle in the bar prior to the incident but the guy left peacefully. It was just after 3am and the bar had just closed and staff were moving patrons out of the pub when someone saw the same man with a gun in a car.

"We asked everybody to stay inside. He fired two shots at the bar but the gun had a silencer so there wasn't a lot of gunshot noise.

"A lot of people hit the deck and we had people hiding behind leaners and the bar.

The whole thing happened so fast, I still find it hard to believe it happened.

"It was an unprovoked attack on the bar and it is scary to think things like this can happen right on your own doorstep.

"Our bouncers here and the police did an awesome job of containing the situation. It's just lucky they were there, and that the guy was driving or he could have let off more rounds and it could have ended up much worse."