By 3 News online staff
An Auckland man with gang connections has admitted firing a weapon at a police officer.
Murray Toleafoa, 30, pleaded guilty to using a firearm against a police constable at the Auckland High Court this morning. As a result, a charge of attempted murder will be dropped.
On June 8, Toleafoa was the passenger in a vehicle pulled over in a routine stop on Mayoral Dr, around 1am.
When an officer tried to take the keys off the female driver, Toleafoa fired at him. He missed, but the officer suffered burns to his forearm, and was attended to by ambulance staff at the scene.
The car was found an hour later in Mt Eden, and the armed offenders squad apprehended Toleafoa at a Countdown supermarket in central Auckland the following week.
He was initially charged with attempted murder, which he denied.
Toleafoa was also issued with a first strike, under the Government's three-strikes law, which prevents criminals from being released on parole once they have three convictions for violent offences.
3 News