Male driver fired shots at police car in Whangārei

Residents reported seeing armed police on Erin St as police searched for the gunman. It was one of the roads blocked off around Otuhiwai Cres where police located a vehicle involved. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A sole police officer has been shot at by a male driver in Whangārei.

Emergency services, including the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) and police back up, were called after a police pursuit ended with a male driver firing multiple shots at a police car and officer.

None of the shots hit the patrol vehicle and fortunately the officer was not injured, Northland District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill said.

At 2.13am this morning, a vehicle with two occupants pulled into a checkpoint but drove off before police could speak with the driver.

Shortly after, the driver of the vehicle fired a shot into the air, the vehicle then stopped shortly after and the driver fired a number of shots at the police unit from the vehicle, Hill said.

AOS were called in and a short time later police located the vehicle up a driveway in Otuhiwai Crescent.

Hill said the vehicle involved has been located and police are continuing to investigate.

"Police acknowledge that this incident will be extremely concerning to our community and we want to assure them that we are working hard to identify and locate those involved.

"It comes three weeks after two men opened fire on a female police officer's car just south of Kerikeri."

On that occasion, the police vehicle's windscreen was left shattered by a shotgun blast after a car pulled out in front, stopping the patrol vehicle on State Highway 11 in the early hours of October 27.

Despite a manhunt across the Northland region police are still looking for the occupants of the car.