A Whakatane cafe owner is praising a customer who was injured by a gunman when she tried to confront him during a robbery.
The shooting took place at Julian's Berry Farm and Cafe in Huna Road. Photo: Julian's Berry Farm and Cafe.
A man pointed a shotgun at staff at Julian's Berry Farm and Cafe in Huna Road yesterday afternoon and demanded money.
The owners of the berry farm and cafe, Paul and Monica Julian, weren't in the cafe at the time.
Mr Julian said one of the customers - a woman waiting to buy an icecream - pushed the gunman and told him to get out.
"I think she took the confrontation away from the staff member, which I'm really grateful for, and took it towards herself.
"First verbally, then with a bit of pushing - a bit of 'come on mate this is silly', 'get out of here', 'what are you doing'.
"That was massively brave."
A shot was fired into the floor, injuring the woman and another customer, who had shrapnel in her leg.
Mr Julian said the shop worker on the till, a Czech backpacker, was very shaken up.
As the hours had gone by the reality was also starting to sink in for him. Armed robbery was not a risk that he had expected to deal with.
"What do we have to do now [is] put in some health and safety processes for armed robbery? We've just had to deal with things like ladders and repetitive strain injuries ... we've considered tsunamis and earthquakes but not armed robberies."
Mr Julian said the woman, who he believed has six children, was a strong and organised person who spoke her mind. Monica Julian had visited her in hospital and thanked her.
The Armed Offenders Squad is still looking for the gunman and police want to hear from anyone who saw the incident.
