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Police are speaking to "suspects" after a police car was fired at by a gunman in Oamaru.
Inspector Warren Kemp said a man and woman with two young children were seen with a shotgun in a stolen Landrover travelling through Palmerston this afternoon.
Earlier police had closed State Highway One and nearby roads.
He said a police car was fired at near Oamaru this afternoon from what is believed to be the stolen Landrover.
Mr Kemp said the Landrover stopped just north of Palmerston.
"A man and a woman with two young children and with what is believed to be a shot gun, were last seen heading off over paddocks.
"Police advise residents of Palmerston to stay indoors and secure their properties until further notice from police. Schools and local residents have been advised," Mr Kemp said.
Police had earlier told schools to keep their doors closed.
Principal of Palmerston School Dan Dilks said he has been contacted by police.
"To be brief so we can keep the lines open, the school has been locked down.
"We've been asked that no one leaves the school and all stay in classes below the windowline," Mr Dilks said.
Mr Kemp said students have now been told they can leave the school grounds and the State Highway is also open.
The local high school students have now been released from the local Palmerston area.
A Palmerston local who did not want to be named said she saw a gray four wheeled drive travelling through the town at between 80 and 100km an hour.
She said three cars were behind the four wheeled drive - one unmarked police car and two patrol cars.
"They weren't up their bum. They were giving it some room," the woman said.
She said she heard the sirens from a long way off and looked up just in time to see the line of vehicles driving up the main road.
"They certainly went through at a rate of knots," she said.
Mr Kemp said a no flight zone had also been placed over the area north of Palmerston township.
Today the North Canterbury News reported that Hanmer police were hunting for a couple on a "holiday crime spree".
The paper reported that a 25 year-old and 20 year-old checked into the Heritage Hotel for two nights on Saturday but when cleaners entered the room they found a television, stereo, cookware and bedding were missing.
The paper said police believe the Palmerston North couple had stolen a Landrover from Picton after being bailed from the Christchurch District Court last Thursday.
