Armed incident in Tasman District, 11:00am 6 Dec 2008

At about 11.00 am Saturday 6th December 2008 the Police were advised of an incident involving a firearm.
It was reported a male driving a vehicle through the main street of Reefton (Buller District) had pointed a shot gun at another male in a parked vehicle.

The vehicle was located and kept under observation until the West Coast and Nelson Armed Offenders Squads travelled to Reefton to undertake the apprehension.

Police stopped a vehicle leaving the address where the alleged offender had gone.
A 54 year old Reefton male was subsequently arrested on firearms charges and will appear in the Greymouth District Court on Monday.

At the conclusion of this event a report came in, also in the Reefton area, of a male being armed with a knife.
He had been seen acting suspiciously by some members of the public.

As units were being dispatched to that job a report was received of a person behaving threateningly with a firearm at Westport.

Both Armed Offenders Squads headed to Westport (approximately one hours drive) to deal with that incident.
Mean while a Police dog and handler searched for the male with the knife but he could not be located.
He is known to local Police and they will follow up on this.

At the Westport incident it was reported that a male, sitting outside a house, had threatened some children with what they believed was a rifle or shot gun.

The residential area was cordoned off and at 4 pm the Armed Offenders Squad arrested, without incident, a male at the address.

A 48 year old Westport man will appear in the Westport District Court on Thursday on firearms related charges.

Another male at the address, a 51 year old local, was also arrested on cannabis matters.
He will also appear in the Westport District Court on Thursday.

With these incidents occurring at the same time local Police staff were stretched and off duty staff were called in to assist.