Reports: Shots fired as man in handcuffs drives off in police car in Bay of Plenty

A search is underway after a man stole a police car in Murupara, Bay of Plenty, and evaded police for four hours before abandoning the vehicle. Photo / File

A man hunt is under way in the central North Island amid speculation shots were fired at a fleeing police car after a handcuffed man managed to get behind the wheel.

Police are tightlipped about the brazen theft that sparked a high speed chase and a major search in the tiny forestry settlement of Murupara last night.

The patrol car was eventually found dumped on a forestry road four hours later.

Witness reports on social media say the stranded officer shot at his car at least twice to stop it from getting away.

He had earlier been seen leading a man in handcuffs into the car in a residential street.

As the stolen patrol car speed through the tiny Bay of Plenty township locals reported seeing the police officer driving a commandeered truck in hot pursuit as his vehicle sped through the town's main street.

Said one witness: "When your at the shops and the cop car speeds past but its not him driving then you see the cop in a truck chasing after his car."

Dozens of police and the Eagle helicopter joined the hunt, scouring the town and surrounding district for hours before the stolen car was found in Gibbs Rd, 15km from where it was stolen.

There was no trace of the driver.

Today police were tightlipped about the dramatic night-time manhunt.

"Police are making ongoing inquiries to locate the person responsible," said a spokeswoman.

They were not able to confirm witness reports of shots being fired or of the officer commandeering a truck to give chase.

The search was believed to have been hampered by the driver having access to police a radio in the car and being able to listen in to police communications.

One poster on social media said by the time police switched to phones he knew where they were hunting for him and dumped the car in a spot they weren't looking.

Fears the driver would get his hands on weapons inside the patrol vehicle were allayed when all the guns were understood to be found in place.