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A man has been arrested after armed police surrounded a property in the Auckland suburb of Waterview for several hours this afternoon, calling for him to “put your gun down”.
Police confirmed at 5.21pm today the man was in custody after the standoff at an address on Tutuki St.
Information had been provided to police that the man had arrived at a property of a person known to him and made a number of concerning comments, before the occupant was able to leave the address.
An area around Tutuki St was cordoned off after 2pm today.
About 10 armed officers could be seen inside the cordon, which stretches about 50m each side of the entrance to Tutuki St.
“Great North Rd is still open, but we are advising the public to stay clear of cordons at this early stage,” a police spokesperson said earlier this afternoon.
“Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.”
A resident on Tutuki St said about 4.30pm that a helicopter has been flying over the area for the past two hours.
“Right outside the house there are about 10 armed offender officers who are looking through their scopes down a driveway at a house,” the resident said.
“I can hear over the loudspeaker they are saying, ‘This is the Auckland Armed Offenders unit, put your gun down and come to the front door with nothing in your hands and you won’t be harmed.’
“There are a couple of cops between a couple of cars, looking down their scopes at the front door of the house.”
One officer at the cordon was telling young children “it’s okay, it’s okay” after the loud bangs.
“We just need everyone to stay as far away as possible,” she said.
It’s understood the sounds may have been flashbangs, but witnesses said they also sounded similar to gunshots.
At 4.50pm one ambulance drove through the cordon on to Tutuki St.
A resident on Tutuki St said an ambulance took one person away on a stretcher.
A police vehicle marked “Dog Unit” also rushed through the cordon and sped into Tutuki St.
A representative from Kāinga Ora arrived at the scene after the arrest of the man and is talking to police.
Armed police have launched an operation in the Auckland suburb of Waterview this afternoon. Photo / Supplied
Police cordoned off an area around Tutuki St and have an increased presence in the area for the public’s safety. Photo / Ben Plummer
After cordoning off an area around Tutuki St police eventually made entry to the property involved and a 43-year-old man was taken into custody. Photo / Ben Plummer
