An armed woman pointed a gun at police officers then stole their patrol car before crashing it in Rotorua on Sunday evening, police allege.
A police spokesperson said in a statement that officers in Whakarewarewa were approached by a woman at about 9pm.
She allegedly pointed a gun at police, who retreated on foot.
The woman drove off in their police car and crashed it shortly afterwards, in Wahiao Drive, the spokesperson said.
"The woman was arrested a short distance away and taken into custody, and the firearm was recovered."
During the incident, armed police could be seen manning a cordon on the nearby Sala Street.
A photographer at the scene said a cordon was in place on Sala St and traffic was being diverted down McIntyre Avenue.
A woman was taken from the scene in a police car.
Meanwhile, a vehicle crashed into a gate on Sunday night at Whakarewarewa Village, a few blocks from the police cordon.
A man, who didn't want to be named, said he arrived in the village minutes after the drama unfolded.
"All I know is they came through the pā, smashed through the gate, spun around, came back down, hit a woman's car, crashed into the wall down by the marae and got into another car and took off."
Police said it appears the two incidents are connected.
It comes after seven arrests overnight as construction work restarted.