A dairy owner was shot with a pair of plastic pellets after refusing to hand over cash in an attempted armed robbery in Dargaville.
Police said the man was at his dairy on Awakino Rd when he was confronted by a man who pointed an air gun at him and demanded money at about 5:35pm yesterday.
When the victim refused to hand any money over, the offender shot him with a pair of plastic pellets, police said.
The victim was not injured in the attack.
The offender ran south down Awakino Rd towards the Dargaville township, police said.