A police dog handler was chased and threatened by a gun-wielding offender who stole the officer's car and drove at him around midnight near Hamilton.
New details have emerged over the incident which has sparked an internal police investigation, after the man took the officer's vehicle at gunpoint and made off with the handler's dog and weapon in the car.
It was a frightening incident for the handler who only just managed to pull his canine partner from the vehicle as it was being driven off, Waikato Police district commander Inspector Win van der Velde said in a press conference this afternoon.
Moments later the pair were being driven at by the offender, and had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by the police vehicle.
Mr van der Velde praised the actions of the handler as "highly commendable", saying he had acted correctly in a difficult situation.