Two arrested following firearms incident in Palmerston North

Two men have been charged following an incident at a house on Ōtaki Pl in Palmerston North on April 12.

Police were called to the house around 2am following reports of a man behaving aggressively towards a woman at the property.

When police arrived at the house, a man who was being obstructive was taken into custody.

Officers began communicating with a second man who remained inside the house.

He came to the door and pointed what appeared to be a pistol at the officers. Officers immediately retreated to a safe place and called for support.

The Armed Offenders Squad and police negotiation team responded and worked for several hours to communicate with the man.

The man was taken into custody around 7am.

Officers then searched the house and located a pistol and a rifle, along with a third firearm that had been dismantled.

”This incident demonstrates the kind of situation our people are called to every day, and shows how quickly things can escalate,” acting district commander Inspector Cliff Brown said.

”I want to commend the officers involved for the calm and measured approach they took to an evolving situation, which led to a safe outcome for all involved.”

A 26-year-old Palmerston North man has been charged with two counts of using a firearm against a law enforcement officer, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

He appeared in Palmerston North District Court on Saturday and has been remanded in custody to appear again in May.

A 27-year-old Hawke’s Bay man has been charged with obstruction and will appear in court later this month.