The father of the young man at the centre of an armed manhunt in Canterbury is begging his son to hand himself in before he's shot.
Treik Allen, 22, has been on the run since a firearms incident on Anzac Drive in Christchurch last Saturday. Another man was left with gunshot wounds after allegedly trading shots with police.
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Treik Allen's tearful dad Dayle contacted Newshub on Saturday afternoon, pleading for him to surrender to police.
"At the end of the day he's his own man and he's going to do what he's going to do but it's not going away," he says. "He needs to come forwards and sort it out."
The 33-year-old shot by police remains in hospital in a serious but seemingly stable condition with gunshot wounds in the lower half of his body.
Dayle Allen finds it hard to believe his son could be caught up with such violence.
"He's not a violent person, not a violent man, he's still a kid," he told Newshub.
"They're making that he's more than what he is. But he's not that person."
Frontline police have armed themselves with Bushmaster assault rifles and Glock pistols as the search for Allen continues.
District Commander Supt John Price says this will continue until he is found.
"Until such time when he is located or hands himself in to the police, front line level one responders in the Canterbury district will be carrying firearms, for their safety and public safety.
Dayle fears the situation puts his son, police and members of the public in danger.
"I just don't want anyone hurt from this, is my concern," he told Newshub. "I'm not just concerned about my boy, I'm concerned about everyone."
Newshub.
