Photo: Google Maps
Police cordons have been removed from a Palmerston North street after an earlier possible sighting of a man who aimed a gun at an officer.
The gunman has been on the run since Tuesday night.
At about 8:30pm, police approached a man and established there was a warrant for his arrest. They attempted to take him into custody.
The man then became agitated and presented a firearm to an officer.
A Palmerston North chemist owner said police swarmed a street in Highbury on Wednesday afternoon.
The street was blocked off by officers and Carroll said parents were waiting at the cordon for their children who were coming home from school.
Carroll said he felt a lot more safer knowing police were in the area.
Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham on Wednesday evening offered his apologies to residents in the area for the disruption or for any fright caused.
Residents were now able to return to their homes and locals within the area could go about their business.
Grantham on Wednesday told Midday Report he believed the public was safe and there was no immediate threat to the community.
He said police knew who the man was, and asked for him to turn himself in, or any associates to provide any information on his location.
"We have the Criminal Investigation Branch engaged in locating this young man, and we have a very experienced set of detectives," he said.
Grantham would not disclose physically defining features of the man, but stressed police were working hard to bring him into custody.
"I don't think it would help in this situation for us to describe the male because we know who he is, we are looking for him," he said.
"The public are safe with what we know and the actions we are taking."
The same man also aimed a gun at a member of the public who was walking on Featherston Street as he was fleeing police.
Grantham said police were providing support to the officer involved who was not physically harmed.
They would not accept violence or attempted violence against officers or anyone in the community, he said.
Grantham said further disruptions in the area were possible if the man did not turn himself in
Police are asking for anyone who witnessed the incident or know the person involved to get in touch on either 105 or online using the reference file number 250212/1858.
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