Police cars rammed, sawn-off rifle drawn in Waikato chase

Three men are in custody after a police pursuit that lasted more than an hour in Waikato early this morning. RNZ reporter Matthew Theunissan tells Guyon Espiner the details. Police spotted a stolen car in Ngaruawahia shortly after midnight and signalled the driver to stop. Senior Sergeant Pete Simpson says at one point the vehicle stopped and a man carrying a sawn-off rifle got out. Officers continued pursuing the vehicle, which reached high speeds on rural roads. It eventually crashed into a paddock near Te Hou and two other men were found and arrested. Mr Simpson says the three men will appear in the Hamilton District Court on Wednesday facing a variety of charges.