A 13-hour stand-off between armed police resulted in a boat of hungry boaties craving a slice of pizza.
Police officers, including the Armed Offenders Squad and a police negotiation team, were at the Tauranga Bridge Marina throughout Wednesday night talking to a man on a boat who had allegedly madethreats towards an officer earlier in the day before fleeing on foot to a boat in the nearby marina.
Police had tried to stop a vehicle on Te Awanui Drive about 3.40pm.
Those in neighbouring docked boats were either evacuated or told to anchor up out of harm's way and keep safe.
While police negotiated with the man, an international boat with Americans on-board were getting hungry.
Tauranga Bridge Marina manager Tony Arnold said people on the boat desperately wanted pizza but were ordered to stay on board.
"God knows what they think of lovely Tauranga," Arnold said, but assured they had a freezer full of food and did not starve.
Arnold came into work from leave as soon as he heard about the situation unfolding to which he said at least 15 police vehicles were on-site while he was there.