The Armed Offenders Squad and Tauranga police hunted a man armed with a knife in Te Puna yesterday. Photo / John Borren
The Armed Offenders Squad and Tauranga police hunted a man armed with a knife in Te Puna yesterday. Photo / John Borren
Heavily armed police spent more than four hours hunting a man who went on the run after a domestic incident in Te Puna as frustrated relatives waited at the cordon hoping for the best.
Tauranga Senior Sergeant Rob Glencross said police received reports of a man armed with a knifeattempting to force his way into a Bethlehem property just before 8am yesterday.
There were unconfirmed reports the man may have threatened people as the drama unfolded at the Wairoa Pa Rd property in Bethlehem.
Police first cordoned off roads around Wairoa Pa Rd as they searched for the man, who was believed to be carrying a weapon.
Northern Police Communications Inspector Tony Wakelin told the Bay of Plenty Times the initial 111 call related to a family violence incident involving the man, who was reported to have left the address in a vehicle.
When the Bay of Plenty Times arrived at the scene a police officer was waiting in a patrol car underneath the Wairoa Bridge, and a lone uniformed police officer armed with a rifle was standing on Te Puna Rd about 200m from the intersection of Armstrong Rd.
Mr Glencross said the man left the Wairoa Pa Rd property before police arrived and inquiries led them to an address in Te Puna.
There was a tense standoff as a cordon remained in place on Tangitu Rd near Maramatanga Park off Te Puna Rd for almost three hours as a large contingent of armed police and nine members of the armed offenders squad dealt with the incident.
Vehicles within the cordon on Tangitu Rd were stopped and checked and drivers stopped from returning to their homes.
Police at the scene were ready with road spikes.
As more family members arrived at the police cordon some asked to be allowed through to negotiate with the man but were turned away.
Photo / John Borren
"We were told it was too dangerous," one of the man's uncles said.
One Tangitu Rd resident, who said he knew the man, said he hoped "this ends in a good result".
A social worker, who knew the family, arrived and offered to help police with their negotiations, and comforted family members.
About 11.20am, residents were allowed to return to their homes as police turned their attention to an address around the corner on Tangitu Rd, where residents said the man lived.
Armed police stationed themselves at the end of long driveway on a rural property. Nearby residents said they had not been asked to stay inside but declined to comment further.
Photo / John Borren
Mr Glencross said AOS staff searched for the man at the Te Puna property but he had again headed off before the police arrived.
Police searched another address in Merivale late in the morning, he said.
