A 21-year-old Whakatane man has been charged with assault following an incident involving a four-year-old boy wearing a red shirt at a Whakatane Park last week.
Police arrested the man this afternoon. and he will appear in Whakatane District Court tomorrow.
Both police and Black Power gang members were trying to find a man who assaulted the boy because he was wearing a red shirt, a colour associated with the Mongrel Mob.
Whakatane is known as the territory of the Black Power gang, which is associated with blue-coloured clothing.
Black Power gang members wanted to give the man "a good clouting" because the gang was not happy about the incident.
The assault happened in Whakatane's Cutler Crescent reserve last Thursday afternoon when a man approached the child while his father's back was turned, poked him in the chest and shouted at him to remove the shirt.
The man, who was wearing blue bandanas around his wrists and neck, then physically removed the shirt from the boy before his father could intervene.
Eastern Bay of Plenty acting area commander Inspector Greg Sparrow said today he was pleased that an arrest had been made.
He thanked the public for the information and support they had provided during the investigation.
