A man was arrested after presenting a knife to an off-duty detective in Hastings last night.
Police Detective Sergeant Mark Moorhouse was returning home from a meeting at a local school when a man appeared in front of his car with a knife.
"I had to back away and go around the corner and call police.
"The man was very intoxicated and had been presenting the weapon to other people during the evening.
"He was actually chasing people down the road with the knife."
Mr Moorhouse called for police assistance at about 8.30pm.
The police canine unit was dispatched and about six police staff arrived prepared to cordon off the area, near the intersection of Nelson and Frederick streets, Mahora.
"Two men were initially taken into custody to determine which one was using the knife."
Mr Moorhouse said one of the men was arrested and would face charges in the Hastings District Court this morning, relating to the incident. He said the offender did "smack another police officer in the face", so assault could be among the charges.
Police are investigating the events before the crash.