Police were called to the Anne St house about 12.35pm after a report of a man entering a house with a “large, bladed weapon” and attempting to steal a vehicle.
Officers deployed pepper spray on arrival. The man then retreated to a room in the house and refused to come out, police said.
The Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) was called in and pepper spray, dogs and a Taser were used to subdue and arrest the man.
A single shot was fired at the man by police, who described the victims of the burglary as “very traumatised”.
Anne St was quiet today, with no sign from the street that a violent incident had happened in the affluent area.
The Herald spoke to neighbours of the house where the drama unfolded and they also said the victims were “traumatised”.
One woman said there had been another incident in the area a year or so ago where a group of youths had been secretly living in one of the houses while the owners were away.
“It was quite frightening for the wife, and as she said, ‘they ate all our food, they slept in our beds’,” she said.
Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said on Sunday the incident “was a fast-moving situation involving a volatile offender”.
“We are fortunate this incident was resolved with no injury to our staff or members of the public.”
Today, Parnell said a 54-year-old man has been charged with aggravated burglary and assault with a weapon.
“The man is remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear in Wellington District Court on October 2,” she said in a statement.
“Officers will remain in the area to provide reassurance to the community while the investigation continues.”
The matter will be referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
