Two men have been arrested after an Armed Offenders callout in Whangarei.
About 12 residents rang the police just before 2pm to report hearing shots fired at a property in Willow Place, in suburban Maunu, and seeing a man lying unconscious outside a property there.
People in surrounding houses were told to stay inside as police searched for a man they said was known to them.
Pupils at nearby HoraHora school who lived in the immediate neighbourhood were kept back as a precaution and nearby Whangarei hospital was put into lockdown.
Part of Maunu Road, near the hospital, was closed, causing traffic snarlups around the city.
Detective Inspector Marty Ruth said precautions were essential.
"Great patience showed by the public of Whangarei in assisting us as we respond to this but it's all about public safety, at the end of the day, and before we opened up those areas we had to make sure it was safe and the matter was contained," he said.
A police spokesperson said two men had been arrested, and a third man - the man lying on the ground - had injuries. However, he had not been shot.
Maunu Road has reopened.
