Man armed with a crossbow allegedly attempts to rob Kamo liquor store

The Bottle-O Kamo store on Three Mile Bush Rd where a man armed with a crossbow demanded cash from a staff member on Saturday night. Photo / Karina Cooper

An "ordinary night" at a Kamo liquor store became a frightening ordeal when staff were confronted by a man armed with a loaded crossbow.

Police are still looking for the man who entered Bottle-O Kamo, on Three Mile Bush Rd, around 7.45pm on Saturday and demanded cash from a staff member.

The store's duty manager, who did not want to be named, said he been moving stock out the back and headed to the store front when his colleague approached him.

"She nonchalantly said, 'by the way, there is a guy here who wants all our money'. She used to work in security, which is why she was probably so nonchalant about it," he said.

The duty manager, trained to deal with robberies, turned the corner of a wine display and saw the young man with the loaded handheld crossbow.

Just as he was about to move forward and start the process of dealing with an armed robbery the man unexpectedly bolted from the store.

"He lost his nerve. I'm like, thank God. We managed to dodge a crossbow bullet on that one."

He said he felt more excitement than fear because the man fled within seconds.

"There was definitely more relief too, than anything else. It was hard to sleep last [Saturday] night."

The duty manager said based on security footage from the store the crossbow – loaded with a bolt - looked like one potentially used for serious target practice.

"...it would've had reasonable pound-force behind that bullet."

The offender dropped all the crossbow's bolts on the ground as he allegedly fled the scene in a car with a driver.

The duty manager was grateful none of the four employees on duty were hurt. He also praised the "extremely rapid response" by police, who were on scene within minutes.

"This wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened."

He said he had been confronted by all sorts of armed offenders in the past at that same store – previously called Kamo Super Liquor.

"One I was in before, they were armed with fence railings – I wore one in the face that time. Others involved axes and knives...it concerns me but I've accepted it's part of the job."

The duty manager said it was a "sad indictment on how things are when money gets tight".

The store was open and it was business as usual on Sunday.

A police spokeswoman said enquiries were under way to locate the man involved. Anyone with information can contact police on 105.

The attempted robbery was not linked to a separate incident that occurred in Kamo on the same evening.

The Armed Offenders Squad arrested two men in One Tree Point, Ruakāka, after a gun was allegedly used in an assault and carjacking in Kamo around 8.30pm.

A 30-year-old man will appear in the Whangārei District Court on Monday charged with aggravated robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm.

A second man, aged 47, will appear on the same day charged with aggravated robbery.

A police spokeswoman said the victim was taken to hospital as a precaution, but no one was injured in the incident.

The people involved are believed to know each other, she said.