Taita death: Man arrested and charged

A man has been arrested and charged after a 39-year-old man was killed in Lower Hutt last night.

Adam Watkins died at a house in High St, Taita.

This afternoon, police arrested a 29-year-old man and charged him with being an accessory after the fact to murder.

Emergency services were called to the house about 8pm. There was a big police presence at the scene later last night, with armed officers, a police dog and several patrol cars in the cordoned-off road.

Police were still in the area this morning.

A gun was found at a separate location and police said the firearm was connected with the homicide.

"It is pleasing to make an arrest at this early stage, however there are still [people] we need to speak to and to establish who is responsible for the death of Mr Watkins," said Detective Senior Sergeant Warwick McKee.

He earlier said police were speaking to people from the house where the man's body was found.

"This is a busy street and there were a lot of vehicles and persons around the area at the time," said Mr McKee, from the Wellington District Criminal Investigation Branch.

He urged people who observed the incident near the Taita shops or saw any suspicious activity to contact police.