A man has been killed in an exchange of gunfire with police in the Hamilton suburb of Hillcrest.
Police said the man received a gunshot wound and died of his injuries at the scene. Photo: RNZ / Andrew McRae
Waikato district commander superintendent Bruce Bird confirmed the man was shot by police.
He said officers went to the property on O'Donoghue Street at about 7.50pm yesterday seeking a person thought to be in possession of firearms.
Officers were confronted by an armed man and a number of shots were fired by both the police and the man.
A man arrived at the property at about 10pm and fired a number of shots from his vehicle.
He was then shot by police, superintendent Bird said.
"First aid was administered immediately, however the man died at the scene a short time later."
No police officers were shot but Bird said during the incident a police officer fell and sustained an injury requiring medical treatment.
Police remain at the address this morning and a range of enquiries are underway.
Police are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.
"Our staff come to work every day to keep our communities safe and the decision to use a firearm is never done lightly," Bird said.
"Our sympathies are with the man's family at this difficult time."
Bird said they will be provided support, as will the officers involved.
It follows the wounding of a police officer in a shooting on Friday.
Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said she believed the city remained a safe place despite two shootings in less than a week.
''There will always be violent crime, and guns are featuring in crime up and down the country, and globally in fact, and nobody feels comfortable about that.
''I largely do believe Hamilton remains a safe city and that the police do a fantastic job, especially within the resources they currently have.
''I personally think the police need every resource possible to keep Hamilton safe but also New Zealanders at large.''
Southgate said the incidents harmed the city's reputation but Hamilton did not have any more crime than anywhere else.
She said it was very unfortunate that someone died in Wednesday night's shooting.
''We don't want anyone to die from guns in New Zealand or in Hamilton."
Her message to residents was to take care of each other.
''Local communities know what is going on better than anyone else, so they need to work closely with police to help them understand what is going on that is of concern in the local community, and then maybe we can help work together to prevent these types of crimes happening.''
