Armed Offenders Squad officers at an incident at Park Island, Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor
Armed Offenders Squad officers at an incident at Park Island, Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor
Hawke's Bay United head coach Bill Robertson has led a few team talks in his time.
But none with a side forced into lockdown in the training shed after reports an armed man was outside.
Robertson told Hawke's Bay Today he was taking a training session at the stadium onTuesday night when he "heard a couple of loud bangs".
Hawke's Bay United coach Bill Robertson: "It was a slightly different team talk to what I am used to having to do."
"We didn't think that much of it at the time until a member of the public came shouting that there was a man around Park Island with a shotgun and that we needed to get inside.
"Myself and the other coaching staff grabbed the players and removed them from the field inside the changing room and the club room. We locked all the doors and kept ourselves firmly inside.
"We had a chat with the players to make sure everyone was alright and then we sat inside for a while, got on our phones to try and figure out what was happening."
Robertson added: "It was a slightly different team talk to what I am used to having to do."
A man charged with firearms offences after the incident appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon.
The 44-year-old appeared in Hastings District Court on five charges, including intending to commit grievous bodily harm with a firearm, and discharging a firearm with reckless disregard.
He was also charged with using a firearm to burgle, of entering a building without authority and taking a car which was someone else's property.
Police officers arrested the man, aged in his 40s, about 8pm on Tuesday after he allegedly aimed a firearm at police at the Park Island sports ground.
Armed Offenders Squad officers at an incident at Park Island, Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor
The popular sports ground was placed into lockdown for roughly an hour.
Members of the Armed Offenders Squad as well as armed police were called to the scene, before a man was driven away from the scene inside a police car.
Police at the scene said the standoff was believed to be linked with a previous incident that occurred at a property down Bowling Rd in Greenmeadows, Napier, about 6.15pm on Tuesday.
Shots were allegedly fired at gas cylinders at a house.
The man was remanded in custody without entering a plea, and will reappear on January 15 in the Napier District Court.
Defence lawyer William Hawkins said he had serious concerns for the man's well-being, and requested name suppression, which was granted until December 17.
The alleged gunman's abandoned car at Park Island. Photo / Paul Taylor
A witness had told Hawke's Bay Today they had seen a man "crouched down next to one of the trees" in Park Island.
"The police were coming down the road telling everybody to get inside because we were in shooting distance.
"It is the first time this has ever happened round here so we were all scared."
A local resident added: "There were a lot of police scattered around and a lot of neighbours quite concerned.
"There was a lot of neighbours out in our road, all a bit panicked and waiting for the gunman to leave before they felt safe going back into their homes.
"There was a scare – we closed and locked all our doors and windows, hoping that the police would sort it out quickly. We had our four-year-old in the house, so we made sure we were all inside to protect the child."
A family member was later told by a police officer that "everything is okay now''.
"Once we all heard those words from the policeman, we all could go back to our families and homes relieved."
