Lopeti, a Newmarket security guard hailed as a hero, is recovering after being stabbed in the neck during an altercation outside Auckland’s Westfield Newmarket on Thursday.
The attack occurred as Lopeti intervened in a police pursuit near the upscale Moncler store.
Newmarket Business Association (NBA) chief executive Mark Knoff-Thomas described Lopeti’s actions as “truly heroic,” adding, “We shudder to think what could have happened if the knife-wielding offender wasn’t stopped.”
Lopeti underwent successful surgery and has since begun receiving visitors, including Police Minister Mark Mitchell. A photo shared on LinkedIn shows Lopeti giving a thumbs-up from his hospital bed.
“He is recovering well,” Knoff-Thomas wrote, noting Lopeti is expected to be discharged soon.
The incident has sparked renewed calls for tougher penalties for knife-related crimes. Knoff-Thomas said, “Sentencing needs to be upped massively” for those using knives as weapons.
Police continue to investigate the incident.
Source: The New Zealand Herald