A cordon in Stratford after shots were fired during a police chase. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
The man involved in a police standoff in Stratford has been taken into custody.
The stand-off on Achilles Street began after a vehicle fled from police last night, and shots were fired at officers.
The car was abandoned on State Highway 3 in the north of the town, and the man barricaded himself in a suburban house.
He remained there until 3pm.
A friend of the man says she is happy it ended without anyone getting hurt.
The incident lasted more than 12 hours, and police say nobody was injured.
Marama, who did not give a last name, said the man was already known to police.
She said she spoke to him on the phone earlier today.
"I spoke to him early on. See it's that gun, you get that gun out of that house, then you just throw it out and then really they have no reason to being firing at you."
Neighbours on a Stratford street said they could hear police telling the man to come out.
Paul Stratton said he heard two or three gunshots, but did not recognise what they were at the time.
During the incident, although he could not see much, he could hear the police telling the man to come out and think of his family, he said.
Stratton said the police had not knocked on his door but other neighbours had been told to stay inside.
Earlier today a Stratford primary school went into lockdown near where the police were in a standoff with the man.
An Avon School spokesperson said they had been in lockdown since 8.45am after a call from police.
The cordon on Celia Street, Stratford. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
St Joseph's Catholic School principal Dave Smith said they also went into lockdown around 8:30am, but came out of lockdown mid-afternoon
He said the children were happy and safe, and lessons had resumed.
Traffic blocked at Stratford, Taranaki, during the police operation. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
