KEY POINTS:
Gisborne police praised the actions of a 67-year-old man who fought off a gun-wielding robber at a bottle store last night, while the hunt goes on for another armed robber foiled in a separate incident.
The two attacks are not believed to be linked.
A 22-year-old man has been arrested and charged with the attempted aggravated robbery of the Gisborne Hotel bottle store in Tyndall Road.
Detective Sergeant Steve Smith said customers had just left the store around 10pm when a masked man entered, armed with a single barrel sawn-off shotgun.
The man, disguised with a hoodie, cap and something over his face, allegedly pushed the end of the gun into the owner's chest and demanded money.
The store owner grabbed the gun, pushed it out of the way and a scuffle broke out, Mr Smith said.
The owner struggled to take the gun and the two fell to the floor and continued to wrestle over it. It is understood to have been loaded.
A staff member, the only other person inside the store, called police and went to the man's aid.
The fight continued until police arrived, during which the owner and the gun-wielding man were both injured.
Police subdued the man, who was still kicking and struggling to get away.
Mr Smith said he did not recommend the store owner's actions but "the victim had to make a decision and he has done that quickly and he has done it very well".
The incident came after police started a large manhunt for another gunman, who tried to rob a 69-year-old man at his rural Matawhero address, 6km west of Gisborne about 2pm yesterday.
Mr Smith said the robber with a scarf across his face banged on the front door of the house, pointed a gun at the occupant and demanded money.
The occupant slammed the door shut and got out of the way, in fear of bullets coming through it.
The gunman fled from the house in a burgundy-coloured Japanese car, parked in the driveway.
"Obviously the offender has believed for whatever reason there would be cash at the premises but there was not. There is nothing there," he said.
The gunman was described as a male of slim, athletic build. Police were investigating the possibility of an accomplice.
- NZPA
