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A police standoff with an armed person who was holed up in a Christchurch address for eight hours today has been resolved.
A police spokesperson earlier confirmed they were responding to the incident on Beatrice Pl, Avonhead, and “encouraging a person to come outside of the premises”.
“The person isreported to have a firearm and police negotiators are in dialogue with them,” police said.
At 11pm, police said the incident has been resolved, with one person in custody.
Beatrice Pl was blocked off as they responded to the ongoing incident.
Some nearby residents were also evacuated as a precaution.
“Police would like to thank the residents of Beatrice Pl and the surrounding area for their patience while we worked to resolve this matter safely,” Todd said.
Police have been at Beatrice Place, Avonhead, Christchurch, where there has been a standoff. Photo / George Heard
A nearby resident said they were evacuated from their home shortly after 7pm.
“We’d been hearing the negotiator over the speaker for a few hours on and off, then had a knock on the door and it was an Armed Offenders Squad member in full gear who said we had to evacuate.
“We were given two minutes to grab some clothes and a phone and that sort of thing and were walked to the end of the street to be picked up [by family].”
The person, who did not want to be named, said they know the family living at the residence.
“They’re very nice people so it’s very stressing that this situation has occurred.”
Police have blocked off Beatrice Pl and advise locals to stay away. Photo / George Heard
The resident said they didn’t see much throughout the afternoon as they had their curtains pulled, but police had set up the speaker for the negotiator outside their mailbox.
“When we were evacuated there would have been at least five AOS members in our driveway and we probably walked past another half-a-dozen police on our way out of the cordon.
“It is pretty traumatic because we are a street that is pretty quiet usually and not a lot of exciting stuff or certainly anything of this nature usually happens.”
Todd acknowledged the work of police staff in attendance, “including the Police Negotiation Team who worked for over eight hours to achieve this negotiated resolution safely for all parties”.
“Police have been notified of a person discharging shots at an industrial building on Hobsonville Rd and are responding to the scene,” NZ police said in a statement about 5pm.
Police later confirmed that a 29-year-old man has been charged with discharging a firearm in/near a place/dwelling.
He is due to appear in Waitākere City District Court on December 15.
