KEY POINTS:
Two 14-year-olds were arrested after shots were fired at police by alleged burglars during a pursuit near Tauranga this morning.
Police dogs and two officers who have been described as heroic were needed to apprehend the offenders following the pursuit.
Inspector Karl Wright St Clair of Tauranga police said the pursuit began after police were told a vehicle stolen in a burglary had been seen in Te Puke.
Police began chasing the car, which headed towards Tauranga on State Highway 2, and punctured two of the vehicle's tyres with road spikes, before heading into Girven Rd in Mt Maunganui.
"At this point one of the occupants in the vehicle fired two shots from a high powered rifle at the pursuing police staff," Mr Wright St Clair said.
The vehicle was forced to stop by police on Ocean Rd, but police retreated once one of the occupants pointed a firearm at them.
Police then retreated and one of the offenders tried to take a police vehicle but two officers and two police dogs apprehended two people after a short time.
Mr Wright St Clair said the efforts were "nothing short of heroic".
"Both officers were unarmed at the time and were placed in a position that required them to take immediate action which placed their own lives in danger," he said.
Several firearms were located in the stolen vehicle.
Two 14-year-olds were arrested and are expected to appear in Tauranga District Court tomorrow facing a number of serious charges.
- NZPA
