Please attribute to Northland District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill:
At 2:13am this morning, Police were conducting a checkpoint on Te Hononga Street in Otangarei, Whangarei.
A vehicle with two occupants has pulled into the checkpoint, but the male driver has driven off before Police could speak with him. Police have then followed the vehicle and when it failed to stop, a pursuit was initiated.
Shortly after the driver of the vehicle has fired a shot into the air, the vehicle has then stopped shortly after, and the driver has fired a number of shots at the Police unit from the vehicle.
None of the shots have hit the patrol vehicle and fortunately the officer was not injured.
The officer has called for backup. AOS were called in and a short time later Police have located the vehicle up a driveway in Otuhiwai Crescent.
The vehicle involved has been located and we are continuing to investigate.
Police acknowledge that this incident will be extremely concerning to our community and we want to assure them that we are working hard to identify and locate those involved.
ENDS
Shelley Nahr/NZ Police