Three appear in court over firearm incident

Three of five people involved in an armed police hunt across Northland farmland have appeared in court.

A 26-year-old female, and two men aged 25 and 29, all from Kaitaia, faced charges in relation to firearms and driving matters following their arrest last Tuesday afternoon. Two other men involved were not charged.

A phone call to police by a member of the public who reported seeing a gun being brandished from a car near Broadwood sparked the armed police response about 12.30pm on Tuesday.

The vehicle was found abandoned in the middle of Te Pua Rd about 30 minutes later but all the occupants had fled. Te Pua Rd, which runs around the eastern side of Lake Omapere, was blocked off as armed police manned the cordons and the armed offenders squad moved in.

Detective Senior Sergeant Rhys Johnston said the vehicle involved in Tuesday's incident was being examined by police and they were still looking to locate the firearm. Some ammunition had been found in the car. It was the fifth callout for the Northland police armed offenders squad in six days.

The squad was involved in the search for Mark Andrew Fletcher the previous Thursday, after it was suspected he had firearms in a house where he was residing. He fled into bush and remains on the run. Two firearms were later seized from the property.

The next day the squad was called again after a shot was fired at officers in Whangarei.

Joshua Mason Kite went on the run and sparked another AOS callout in Mangawhai on Sunday night.

On Tuesday a 25-year-old woman was arrested and charged with being an accessory. Police allege she helped 33-year-old Kite avoid arrest.

Following Friday morning's incident, Kite is thought to have taken off in an unmarked police car and then stolen another car before dumping it in Maungaturoto.

Another callout for the squad came last Tuesday at 1am to track a man who had allegedly fired a shotgun as he drove away from a Ngunguru property on Sunday evening.

Kaikohe police would like to hear from anyone who may have seen a silver Mitsubishi Galant saloon in the Broadwood/Kohukohu area around midday Tuesday.

Contact Kaikohe police on (09) 405 2960 or speak anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.