Please attribute to Inspector Wendy Spiller, Area Commander Counties Manukau East:
At about 4.40am this morning, a vehicle failed to stop for a routine Police check on Bairds Road. Officers followed the vehicle for a short distance through Paptoetoe and Otara before abandoning the pursuit due to safety concerns over the manner of driving. The pursuit lasted about four minutes.
A short time later, the vehicle was seen again on Bairds Road, where it crashed.
As officers approached the vehicle, the sole male occupant pointed a firearm at them. The officers withdrew and the man ran from the vehicle. A dog unit was deployed but was unable to locate him.
A scene guard is in place at the site of the crash and Police enquiries are ongoing.
Police have assembled a team of Detectives who are working to identify and locate the offender involved. We take these types of incidents very seriously and have already made a number of enquiries.
We have carried out forensic analysis of the vehicle and are awaiting the results. We will also be conducting area enquiries across the wider Auckland area.
If you have any information which can assist police then please contact Detective Sergeant Kepal Richards on 09 261 1300. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 08000 555 111. You can also send us a private message on Facebook.
ENDS
Shelley Nahr/NZ Police