A man who is reported to have threatened workers on a building site in Ashburton has been arrested.
Senior Senior Sergeant Scott Banfield said the man had a heated argument with his employer and made comments about using a firearm.
Police arrested the man at a residential address and seized an air rifle.
The 58-year-old has been issued with a pre-charge warning for threatening behaviour and has been referred to psychiatric services for an assessment.
The contractor who was threatened is employed by Ashburton District Council, who assessed the situation and decided to close the public counter as a precaution.