Photo: 123rf
A 20-year-old man has been charged with murder after a shooting and carjacking in Hamilton.
Police were called to a house on Bellmont Avenue in the suburb of Chartwell around 6.40pm on Wednesday, and located a 31-year-old man deceased.
The alleged offender, who was known to the victim, had fled the scene and police searched for him with the assistance of the Eagle helicopter.
About 12.20am on Thursday the alleged offender stole a car from a driver at gunpoint, police said.
The driver had stopped to pick up the man who was hitchhiking on Gordonton Road. The driver was uninjured but were understandably shaken by the incident, Detective Inspector Daryl Smith sid.
About 12.40am on Thursday a police dog unit spotted the stolen car and chased it north to Ngāruawāhia, where road spikes were deployed.
The car came to a stop in Ngāruāwahia and the alleged offender was arrested, Smith said.
The man has been charged with murder, aggravated robbery and failing to stop for police.
A local resident, who did not want to be named, said earlier on Wednesday she had seen about six to 10 armed police and four to five police cars around the corner of Comries Road and Bellmont Road.
She said a helicopter had been circling since around 8pm.
The resident said when she approached police to ask about what was going on, an officer told her it was a "dangerous" situation and asked her to leave.
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