Charges for alleged police shooter

Murray Toleafoa. Photo / NZ Herald.

A man who allegedly fired a pistol at a police officer has been charged with attempted murder.

Murray Toleafoa, 30, was arrested by armed police in a supermarket carpark in central Auckland at lunchtime. He was in a car with two others, who have not yet been charged but are being spoken to by police.

Toleafoa was in a car driven by his girlfriend Nadia Ball when the pair were stopped by police on Friday morning. As a constable spoke to the pair at the driver's window Toleafoa allegedly leaned around Ball and fired at least one shot in his direction.

The constable was not hit but the bullet passed so closely it left burn marks on his forearms.

The officer remains off work recovering.

Toleafoa will appear in the Auckland District Court tomorrow.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard said the arrest was straightforward.

"I'm relieved that we have found the man who we allege shot at one of our officers early on Friday morning and we're now speaking with him. He was not armed at the time of his arrest.

"I'd like to thank the public for its support and my staff for their dedication and hard work over the past four and half days.

The officer who was shot at has also expressed his gratitude to his colleagues, Mr Beard said.

A woman who saw the arrest said police converged on the carpark "all of a sudden".

"Undercover cops came out with their guns opened the doors and got the guys face down on the ground," she said.

She said an officer yelled 'get down' at the men and then a detective called one of the men Murray while introducing himself.

The arrest comes after the Herald published hundreds of "wanted" posters at newspaper sales sites on city streets.