NT Police director of communications Mark Wilton said in a statement on Sunday that about 3:30pm Saturday police received reports that four offenders allegedly stole a Holden Colorado ute from a driveway in Gillen when a resident was closing the gate.

The officers saw the ute in Gregory Terrace in the city just before midnight, with police later “successfully” using tyre spikes to stop the vehicle at an unspecified point on Larapinta Drive.

“The vehicle came to a complete stop on Bradshaw Terrace and all four occupants fled the scene by foot,” Mr Wilton said.

Mr Wilton said a 13-year-old and 14-year-old boy were arrested nearby and would be dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.

However a source with knowledge of the situation, but who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution, said the ute had been driving dangerously, reaching speeds of up to 140km/h on Larapinta Drive, swerving at vehicles and pedestrians in the city, and had stopped because it had crashed into a tree after the tyres were spiked, with the glass from the crash still around the tree.

They said one of the children caught had a foot injury from falling in a culvert while being chased by police and was taken to the Alice Springs Hospital.

Young people driving 4WD vehicles dangerously through the streets of the Alice Springs CBD at night attracted national media attention during the previous Labor government’s time in power, and was used as evidence by the then-CLP opposition that crime was out of control.

Mr Wilton denied the source’s account saying police “specifically did not observe the vehicle driving dangerously in the CBD”, and had not received reports of “such behaviour at this stage” but did amend the facts about Larapinta Drive.

“Members did observe the vehicle driving dangerously on Larapinta Drive shortly before tyre deflation devices were deployed,” Mr Wilton said.

He said there were no reports on the ute hitting a tree, stating it stopped after hitting a kerb.

“The 13-year-old reported having of a sore leg from running, he was conveyed to hospital for assessment per protocol and subsequently discharged,” Mr Wilton said.

However the source said the boy was undergoing surgery on his foot at the time police told the NT Independent he had been discharged from hospital, and had allegedly been held after allegedly making threats against staff, and was under the watch of a security guard.

The issue of what facts are reported to the public by the NT Police has been raised before.

The Fyles Labor government installed a marketing manager in May 2023 who provided strategic advice on the “Territory master brand” in an unadvertised new role, which it was alleged by sources controlled what details the NT Police media unit reported.

Sita Bacher, was working in the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet, and while not directly employed by NT Police, sources said she was installed by government officials and along with the police executive, decided what crime was to be reported to the public, with the work of distributing that information tasked to the Darwin media unit.