Gunman snatches prisoner and flees

A security camera captures footage of the gunman the police are hunting.

Armed police were today still searching for a gunman who freed one of the country's most notorious criminals from a prison van in central Wellington. 

The gunman forced three corrections officers to release Arthur William Taylor when the van was in a carpark.

Taylor, on remand in Rimutaka Prison in Upper Hutt on serious firearms and drug charges, and the gunman then made their escape.

Taylor's freedom was shortlived. He ran down the road to a shop, where he managed to conceal himself in the ceiling. He fell through the ceiling, dashed down a path and was captured in another carpark by police.

Detectives and frontline police officers joined the armed offenders squad in the hunt for the gunman, who was believed to be carrying a pistol. Police warned he should not be approached.

"Anyone who's prepared to present and point a firearm at corrections officers should be considered dangerous," said Detective Inspector Gary Knowles of Wellington.

The identity of the gunman was unknown but police last night released security footage showing him in the carpark where he threatened and handcuffed the corrections officers before he and Taylor fled.

"Someone must know who this man is. He's dangerous and we need to find him," Mr Knowles said.

The search took in buildings in Manners Mall and Victoria St near where Taylor, 48, was found.

It is believed Taylor had been due to attend a meeting at the Child, Youth and Family office on the eighth floor of the Grand Central building in the mall.

Pedestrians were stopped from entering three office buildings on Manners Mall but roads were not closed.

By 9pm, the operation had been scaled back to 25 officers.

Inquiries were also under way in Levin, Otaki and other places in the lower North Island where Taylor has connections.

The man police are looking for is described as a European in his 30s. He was wearing a beanie, glasses and a green fluorescent jacket.

Police were also talking with the corrections officers, who were said to be shaken but unhurt.

Wellington prisons regional manager Dave East said an internal investigation into the escape had been launched.

The search for the gunman continued until late last night and was to resume this morning.

Taylor will appear in the Wellington District Court today on seven charges - escaping from custody, three charges of presenting a firearm to law enforcement officers, and three charges of kidnapping.

Life of crime

Name: Arthur William Taylor.

Born: 1956. Career: Criminal.

First offence at 16. His 25 years of offending includes four armed robberies, eight escapes from custody, eight weapons offences, 22 burglaries and 27 acts of fraud.

Escaped from Auckland Prison at Paremoremo in 1998, sparking a huge manhunt. Taylor was on the run for six days. His fellow escapers were captured after four days.