Police have confirmed they believe the man who shot at them last night in the Christchurch suburb of Richmond was the same person who fired shots at officers on Saturday morning.
The scene of the shooting in Christchurch. Photo: RNZ / Conan Young
The 33-year-old Woolston resident is in a serious but stable condition in hospital after fleeing police and then becoming involved in a shoot out with them in a suburban street last night.
Canterbury district commander Superintendent John Price said the Saturday morning incident involved shots being fired at officers on Anzac Drive on two separate occasions.
In the first officers signalled a car to stop in Wainoni because of the way it was being driven, Mr Price said.
The driver did not stop, and officers saw what they believed to be shots fired from the vehicle towards them
Police immediately abandoned the pursuit.
More shots were fired from the same vehicle at a police car parked on Dyers Road, Mr Price said.
Police then conducted extensive inquires to find those involved.
Police spotted the car yesterday at about 7.20pm, and the man failed to stop his car and fled from officers.
They gave chase and during the pursuit it appeared the driver deliberately drove towards an officer who was laying down road spikes, Mr Price said.
Fortunately that officer was not injured and the car was successfully spiked, coming to a stop on Eveleyn Couzins Avenue in Richmond.
Police said the man fired at them with what was believed to be a shotgun, they returned fire and the man was shot in the lower body.
Witnesses described hearing at least 10 gunshots in total.
Police said they gave the man first aid and he was now under guard at Christchurch Hospital.
Mr Price said there would continue to be a police presence on Eveleyn Couzins Avenue overnight. "I can reassure local residents that we have no further concerns for safety in the area as a result of this incident," he said.
Mr Price added that members of the public who filmed the shootout were lucky not to be injured. "In circumstances like that I appreciate that people have taken the opportunity to film or take photographs but we are very, very lucky that no other members of the public were hurt in this incident, so I ask them to look after the safety of themselves and also other families' members."
