Hostages taken in 45-minute dramatic chase

Members of the armed offenders squad pursued the driver before forcing the car off the motorway near the Te Atatu exit. Picture / Martin Sykes

It was relatively quiet in Newton, central Auckland, at 9.30am yesterday when a police car signalled to a driver to pull over.

He refused and sped off towards nearby Sandringham. The patrol car followed, the officers radioing to say they were in pursuit.

And so began a 45-minute chase that at its dramatic peak involved three people being taken hostage, police cars being shot at and police shooting back, and finally an arrest after armed offenders squad members in pursuit vehicles forced a car off the road.

In Sandringham, the driver of the car led the pursuing patrol cars into the underground carpark at St Luke's shopping centre.

He ran from his car carrying a rifle. Shots were fired, echoing around the concrete building.

Inside the shopping centre, most people were unaware of the danger a few metres away.

Elliott Colley, who was working at Output Images, the store nearest the door to the carpark, said he heard two loud bangs that he thought was a car backfiring.

"No one really paid much attention so I just carried on working. Next thing, police come in and ask if any bullets came inside. Unbelievable."

The gunman evaded police and got into the back of a Chinese family's four-door Volkswagen, ordering the elderly man behind the wheel to drive. Also inside the vehicle were the man's elderly wife and another, younger man.

Police followed - the armed offenders squad and police helicopter had been alerted - and the chase headed for West Auckland through suburban streets at up to 70km/h.

As the Volkswagen, its terrified occupants still inside, wound its way through Glendene, Te Atatu South, Massey and Westgate, at the end of the Northwestern Motorway, 15 police cars entered and left the pursuit.

Turning back towards the city, the driver headed along the motorway from Westgate, driving at 100km/h and now pursued by members of the armed offenders squad, police dog handlers and other armed officers.

The police radio transmitted the drama: "We fired a shot - they carried on ... He's just moving, with his firearm out. Call all other vehicles to pull back."

A police car window was shattered by a bullet that exited through the roof, narrowly missing the squad members inside. Another car was also hit, the bullet lodged firmly in the sidepanel.

Televised footage showed the carjacker waving the rifle, and his Mongrel Mob jacket, out the back of the car.

Along the motorway police blocked various exits - Royal Rd, Lincoln Rd and Te Atatu Rd. By this time 40 officers were involved.

On the Northwestern Motorway police got close enough to force the Volkswagen off the road and it collided with a power pole.

The man was arrested, his patched jacket discarded at the scene.

The distressed hostages were taken to hospital for checks. At home last night they declined to talk about their ordeal.

A neighbour speaking for them said they were still very frightened.

At a late-afternoon press conference police would say very little as the case is now before the courts.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Pearson said the victims had minor bruises but were physically OK.

"They were absolutely terrified. They certainly did the right things ... I think the danger out there was real for everyone."

He said he doubted police would have fired at the Volkswagen during the chase, and would not say how many rounds were let off in the exchange.

The investigation will continue today, with Environmental Science and Research scientists and a firearms forensics expert involved.

A 34-year-old unemployed man will appear in the Auckland District Court this morning on initial counts of kidnapping. Police expect to lay further charges.

The Police Complaints Authority had been told of the pursuit and a police inspector was yesterday appointed to investigate on its behalf.