A 40-year-old man faces a number of charges after he was arrested near Queenstown this afternoon.
He was disturbed by another person breaking into a commercial premises in Invercargill around 7:45am today, and fled the scene.
Police made area inquiries in an attempt to locate him but were unsuccessful.
Several hours later, Police received information that the man was near Winton in a vehicle heading towards Queenstown along State Highway 6.
Police were not in pursuit of the vehicle for the entire distance, but good communication between officers ensured the man’s location was continually monitored.
Road spikes were successfully deployed near Kawarau Bridge.
The man got out of the vehicle at Frankton BP service station, where he unsuccessfully attempted to steal another vehicle, before locking himself in the service station bathroom.
Armed Police and members of the Police Negotiation Team took the man into custody around 30 minutes later, at approximately 4pm.
The man has been charged with driving in a dangerous manner and failing to stop for Police. He is due to appear in Invercargill District Court on Monday, and is expected to face further charges.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre