Armed police have stormed a house in West Auckland after an officer was shot dead today.
Shortly before 2.30pm police moved to the house on Rena Place in West Habour slowly behind their vehicle and are now surrounding it.
They have been in the street for about an hour.
Police could be heard telling someone to come out.
The police moved on the house with their shield up.
Neighbours are standing in the street watching and builders are on a roof at a new build across the road.
Police Minister Stuart Nash said the officer who died was a man who "dedicated his career to keeping us safe".
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said this afternoon that an officer died after two were shot in Massey today. Shots were fired, officers were hit and a member of the public was hit and injured by a vehicle after police performed a routine traffic stop on Reynella Drive.
St John confirmed three people have been taken to hospital. One of the police officers has died.
The Herald understands one of the shot officers was calling for help. He could be heard yelling that he had been shot and was bleeding.
Another of those hurt suffered serious injuries and the other is said to have moderate injuries.
It has been 11 years since a police officer was killed in the line of duty in New Zealand.
The last was Senior Constable Len Snee, who was shot dead by gunman Jan Molenaar in Napier in May 2009.
The offender fled the scene in a vehicle and police have a large presence actively searching for the person.
Cordons are in place and schools in the immediate area have been advised to lockdown.
Police advise all members of the public to avoid the Massey area, in particular the areas around Don Buck Road, Waimumu Road, Hewlitt Road and Triangle Road.
Elaine Taniela, who lives near Reynella Drive, was at home when she heard three distinctive sounds she now believes were gunshots.
"My dad was outside and heard them as well."
Taniela said her father's friend, who had been coming over to their house at the time, described harrowing scenes as he drove down Reynella Drive heading towards Triangle Rd.
"He was shaking telling us," she said.
"As he neared the first roundabout (near Gallony Avenue) he saw a cop on the ground.
"He said it looked like he was having a seizure. He was shaking."
Taniela said her father's friend immediately stopped his car and tried to get out of the car.
"He wanted to help the cop. But the neighbours and another cop yelled out to him - telling to carry on driving."
As the man then got back into his car and drove off, he saw a second police officer "hunched over" another person he believed was also a police officer.
Henderson-Massey Local Board chairman and former Labour MP Chris Carter was unaware of the shooting when contacted by the Herald.
"On behalf of the community and for the families of the affected officers I'm really, really shocked and speechless. It is not the sort of thing you think will happen in New Zealand," he said.
A concerned parent is waiting to collect his child, whose west Auckland kindy is in lockdown.
Jordan is standing outside Reynella Drive in Massey, hoping to pick up his son from the kindergarten on the street.
He says he got a call from his partner that his son's kindy's in lockdown.
Jordan says he's trying to get his son and go home.
St John confirmed they had several ambulance units at the scene in Massey - after being called to the incident about 10.40am.
Three ambulance vehicles, one rapid response unit and three manager units were sent. The latter unit is usually sent to very serious incidents.
A woman at the St Paul's Catholic Church on Waimumu Rd said about 11.15am that she had seen two police cars zooming down towards Don Buck Road a few minutes earlier.
A police helicopter is also now hovering above the area.
"We were wondering what was happening," she said.
A police spokesperson confirmed officers are responding to an incident in Massey but would not comment further.
Polyfest organisers are blaming the government for not fronting up more cash.