A late-night drama unfolded in Otane on Saturday with the Central Hawke's Bay township cordoned off after police received reports of a shotgun being fired in the air.
Traffic was diverted off State Highway 2 between 9.30pm and 10pm, with northbound travellers made to turn off at Argyll Rd and southbound motorists asked to use College Rd.
The cordon remained in place until about 11.45pm.
Some residents spoken to yesterday said that between 11pm and 11.30pm the police drove around the streets with loudspeakers asking residents to stay inside and turn their lights out.
Other residents, however, had no knowledge that anything was happening.