The man shot and killed by police just outside of New Plymouth on Saturday evening has been identified.
He has yet to be officially named by the police, but the family has confirmed to Newshub he was local man Kaoss Price, 22.
Friends of Price have posted several messages online since his death to express their heartbreak.
Messages online include "light it up in paradise" and "rest in love my bro" while one person wrote "rest easy egg" and "flame on forever".
Police said officers shot the man while they were "conducting a vehicle stop" on Devon Rd in New Plymouth at about 9:30pm on Saturday.
The man was given medical assistance at the scene but suffered critical injuries and died, a police statement said.
An investigation continues into the incident but scarce details about the incident have been provided by the police.
State Highway 3 from Moutain Road to De Havilland Drive remains closed while a scene examination is completed with Waka Kotahi asking locals to delay their journey or use an alternative route.
New Plymouth residents, meanwhile, were shocked by the incident.
"It's never good when it's so close to home, we don't think things like that happen down here but they do, so yeah it's not good," one resident told Newshub.
A person living nearby told the NZ Herald she heard gunfire while she was lying in bed.
"I heard a 'bang, bang, bang' and I thought, 'What on earth was that?'
"It sounded a lot louder than what you'd normally hear… it sounded like a gun."
An associate of Price, who did not wish to be named, told Stuff police knew immediately who they had shot given his distinctive facial tattoos.
Last November, the outlet reported Price was jailed for more than two years after a series of offences.
These included escaping from police custody, burglary, theft of motor vehicles, thefts involving family members and multiple police chases, Stuff said.
Police said the incident has been referred to the coroner and the Independent Police Conduct Authority had been notified, while the officers involved were being supported by welfare services and their colleagues.
