Charges have been laid after a man led police on a dangerous pursuit across Auckland.
Anthony Rangi, 44, was apprehended on Thursday after allegedly leading police on a pursuit from Northcote on the North Shore to Weymouth, in south Auckland.
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He was taken to Middlemore Hospital after the incident due to injuries sustained from the use of a police dog.
Rangi was released from hospital on Friday evening and taken to Henderson Police Station. He appeared in North Shore District Court on a number of firearms charges on Saturday morning.
He was charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer with a motor vehicle, one count of reckless driving, one count of driving while disqualified, one count of failing to stop, one count of possessing a weapon and one count of firing a weapon.
It's alleged Rangi discharged a Colt 45 pistol at an address in Northcote.
Police say they were first called to attend an incident allegedly involving Rangi at 3.12pm on Thursday with a report of multiple shots being fired after an altercation in Northcote.
A police helicopter saw the driver flee the scene, heading south on the Northern motorway.
The driver was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic at breakneck speeds, before tossing a gun out in Northcote.
After failing to stop for police, the chase was abandoned due to the reckless driving.
At 4.25pm, the driver was apprehended by armed police and the dog squad near the intersection of Weymouth Rd and Roscommon Rd.
Video believed to be from the chase shows a red Holden Commodore speeding down a Manurewa road before pulling a dramatic handbrake turn in front of police.
Police then get out of the car and shots can be heard before the Commodore speeds away again.
Josiah Wallace, who captured part of the incident on video, told Newshub that it wasn't a scene you would expect in New Zealand.
"There are a lot of high speeds around here, but not police pulling out firearms and blasting off bullets like it's America," he said.
Mr Wallace said it left bystanders in disbelief and he was shocked by the police pulling out a firearm.
"Everybody was in shock, bystanders, everyone in Maccas, KFC, everyone was coming out.
"To think the police would pull out a firearm just like that, right in the public, and not even thinking about it, not even saying anything, just pulls his gun out and starts shooting," said Mr Wallace.
Police told Newshub the discharge of a firearm would typically lead to three investigations - an Independent Police Conduct Authority investigation, a criminal investigation and an internal review of police practice, policy and procedure.
"This case is no different."
Newshub.
