Police may have tough time finding gunman, says farmer

Armed Offenders Squad police officers search farmland near Norsewood for the gunman. Photo / Mark Mitchell

A Hawkes Bay farmer says police could have trouble finding a gunman who has been on the run since yesterday.

There have been no sightings of John Bourke, 46, since yesterday, when he shot a farm worker and fired at a police officer near the southern Hawkes Bay town of Norsewood.

A body was also found in Bourke's abandoned vehicle.

Police believe he may be holed-up on a farm property and are checking every farm building in the local area.

Cordons have been set up around 15 square kilometres of farmland as a police helicopter and armed police lead the search.

But local farmer Sam Von Dadelszen told National Radio police could have trouble tracking Bourke if he's familiar with the area.

Von Dadelszen says there are plenty of places to hide in the local area if Bourke knows where to hide.

Von Dadelszen said the gunman had walked through paddocks and confronted workers in three milking sheds yesterday.

The incident started when the gunman fled a breath test and led police on a chase yesterday before crashing his car.

The gunman ran off before shooting and wounding a farmer and then shooting at police.

He has been on the run over night, despite rain and temperatures as low as 3 degrees.

Bourke is described as being of European descent, 170cms tall, stocky build and with short greying hair.

Police spokeswoman Kim Perks said police had concerns for public safety after the gunman shot at the farmer and police officer, both of whom were backing away from him at the time.

Asked if police were confident the gunman was inside the cordons, Ms Perks said police were "optimistic".

She said the cordons were put up quickly after the gunman left his car.

"We're not putting the community into lock-down but there were some people evacuated last night and some decided not to go," Ms Perks said.

Ms Perks said the body found in the gunman's car has not been formally identified yet.

Police last night warned residents of Norsewood, 20km northeast of Dannevirke, and nearby Ormondville and Takapau to stay inside, lock their doors and stay away from windows.

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA, NZHERALD STAFF