Whangārei man reportedly armed with machete arrested in Ōtangarei

Whangārei police were called to Amy Kate St in Tikipunga on Sunday after reports of a man on the street armed with a machete. Photo / Bevan Conley

A 49-year-old Whangārei man was arrested after being caught on a suburban street allegedly armed with a machete.

Witnesses reported seeing officers apprehend a man covered in blood and carrying multiple machetes on William Jones Dr in Ōtangarei around 6.15pm on Sunday.

A police spokesman said they received two calls about a man running around Amy Kate St in Tikipunga – separated from William Jones Dr by the Ōtangarei Sports Park.

He said they had mentioned a machete in their calls to police.

People in the area reported seeing a large presence of law enforcement as officers worked quickly to find the man.

"He was located and taken into custody without incident," the spokesman said.

According to police, the man had been by himself as opposed to having been involved in a fight or a similar situation.

No one was injured during the incident except for the man who reportedly received minor cuts to his hands.

He was expected to appear in the Whangārei District Court to face a single charge of possession of an offensive weapon.