One of two police officers shot in an incident in west Auckland on Friday has died, the Police Commissioner has confirmed.
Speaking at a press conference from Wellington on Friday, Andrew Coster said the Massey shooting was "absolutely the worst thing for us to deal with", and passed on his condolences to the officer's family and friends.
The other officer shot has serious injuries, Coster said, while a member of the public who was struck by the offender's fleeing vehicle has minor injuries. Both are being treated in hospital.
A manhunt for the alleged shooter has been underway for several hours.
"While efforts to locate the offender are ongoing, our people in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) will be armed," Coster told media.
The shooting occurred during "a routine traffic stop" on Reynella Dr, Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Naila Hassan said earlier on Friday.
The incident caused the lockdown of eight local schools - including Massey High School, which has a roll of more than 1500 students - and police urged all members of the public to avoid the area.
The Police Commissioner says the incident is a reminder of the scale of risk officers face when they go to work each day.
"Staff safety and welfare are our absolute priority, and our whole organisation is in a state of shock as a result of this event."
In a statement sent to media, the Prime Minister described the officer's death as "devastating news".
"Our police officers work hard everyday to keep us and our communities safe," said Jacinda Ardern.
"To lose a police officer is to lose someone working for all of us, but also a family member, someone's loved one and friend. My condolences go to them and to their police whanau."
Police Minister Stuart Nash said it was "a tragic day for our police family".
"We have another officer injured by gunfire and a member of the public has also been injured by a fleeing offender. Our thoughts are with them," he said.
"I have spoken to the Commissioner of Police this morning to ensure that he and his senior commanders have all the resources they need to respond."
In a press conference alongside Police Association President Chris Cahill on Friday afternoon, Nash said a full investigation would be carried out into how the incident happened.
Witnesses told Newshub they heard several gunshots at about 10:45am on Friday. The Armed Offenders Squad (AOS), an Eagle helicopter and a Westpac helicopter were all called in.
Police advised all members of the public to avoid the Massey area - in particular the areas around Don Buck Rd, Waimumu Rd, Hewlitt Rd and Triangle Rd.
Auckland Transport urged motorists to avoid the area, warning there were diversions in place affecting all traffic, including bus services.
