Police have arrested a kidnapper on the run after a hunt involving guns and teargas.
Armed police yesterday swooped on a Rotorua house in Tui Rd hoping to find a man who has been wanted for more than two months. The man - Carl Vincent Anderson, 34 - has been wanted by Rotorua police since the middle of November for breaching his bail. He was tried and convicted of kidnapping in the Rotorua District Court in November but was granted bail until his sentencing at a yet-to-be-determined date.
Anderson was not found during an initial police swoop mid-afternoon yesterday but was found a short time later walking along Russell Rd and is now in police custody. He will be appearing in the Rotorua District Court today.
Yesterday's arrest was the second involving armed police this month. On January 11, a man was arrested after a tense standoff with armed police at a Clayton Rd house.
Yesterday Steeles Lane was cordoned off about 3pm and police - as well as the Rotorua Armed Offenders Squad - began to converge on a property next to the Mobil service station on Clayton Rd.
Traffic was prevented from turning into Steeles Lane by two police officers, one of whom was carrying a gun.
They also searched the boots of any cars leaving Steeles Lane.
People had to park on a property next to the service station and wait until police allowed them to leave, some waiting for more than an hour.
Meanwhile, the Rotorua Armed Offenders Squad were making their way to a Tui Rd house about 400m away.
Rotorua journalism student Dana Kinita, who was visiting family across the road from the house, said she saw about five armed police in front of the Tui Rd house.
Police were telling the occupants of the house it was surrounded, that they had a warrant for the arrest of Anderson, and that they should give themselves up and no harm would be done, Ms Kinita said. A short time later she heard eight "shots" being fired.
About 10 minutes passed and she heard two loud bangs and then another two and she then realised police had got inside the house. She also heard thumping and windows smashing.
Ms Kinita said this was the third incident involving the Rotorua Armed Offenders Squad she had seen and was not scared. A Tui Rd resident, who did not want to be named, said he saw 15 armed police officers.
"There were guys creeping around and hiding behind trees."
Clayton Rd resident Joan Rogers said she had heard the shots from her garden and walked to the roadblock to find out what was going on. Another Clayton Rd resident, Joselynn Burgess, said she had started to get worried when she saw a police officer with a gun standing on the corner of Clayton Rd and Steeles Lane.
Inspector Bruce Horne, of the Rotorua police, said they became aware Anderson had been at the Tui Rd house that day. Police, with the help of the Rotorua Armed Offenders Squad, went to search the property.
He said the shots people had heard would have been police putting tear gas into the house.
Two people were found there but not Anderson. However, it was not long before police received more information and cordoned off an area surrounding Russell Rd. A member of the Rotorua Armed Offenders Squad approached Anderson, who was walking along Russell Rd, and he was taken into police custody with no incident.
Two fire appliances and Rotorua St John ambulance officers were on standby during the callout.
Armed police swoop
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