Two charged with firearms offences

Two men have been charged after an alleged firearms incident in Palmerston North.

Police were called to a house on Ōtaki Place in Westbrook about 2am on Friday after receiving reports of a man behaving aggressively towards a woman.

A police statement said a man at the house was obstructive and was taken into custody. Officers started communicating with a second man inside the house, then he came to the door and “pointed what appeared to be a pistol at the officers”, it said.

The officers retreated and called for support. The armed offenders squad and police negotiation team “worked for several hours to communicate with the man and bring the incident to a safe conclusion”, the statement said. A man was arrested about 7am. Inside the house police said they found a pistol, a rifle and a third gun that had been dismantled.

Acting district commander Inspector Cliff Brown said: “This incident demonstrates the kind of situation our people are called to every day and shows how quickly things can escalate. 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 was charged with two counts of using a firearm against a law enforcement officer, and unlawfully possessing a firearm.

He appeared in the Palmerston North District Court on Saturday and was remanded in custody to reappear in May.

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