Enquiries are ongoing to locate an identified man following an incident in the Taupō suburb of Hilltop.

“This man knows who he is, and so do we. Come forward sooner rather than later, there is no need to make it harder than it needs to be,” says Taupō Area Commander Inspector Phil Edwards.

Police responded to the Hilltop area around 1:40pm on Thursday, after receiving reports of an altercation between a man and a woman who were both armed with knives.

There were no reports of injuries.

Police located his vehicle and a firearm which were seized shortly after this report.

The man is believed to be armed with a further firearm.

Police teams including the Armed Offenders Squad and Dog units searched the area extensively.

“We are taking this seriously and realise how unsettling this has been particularly for the younger members of our community whose schools went into lockdown.

“We have been asked if our kids are safe to go to school today - the answer to that is yes.

“We will also be visiting schools to provide reassurance and thank those children for their bravery and listening to instructions when it was important.”

Police will be visible in the community today while we carry out enquiries with associates, friends, and family of the man at the centre of this incident and would like to thank members of the public for their patience and understanding.

“If you refuse to come to us, we will find you.

“It is our priority to take this man into custody, and associates can expect us to be knocking on doors and executing search warrants.”

Anyone with information on the man’s whereabouts is asked to call Police 111, referencing the event number P057866209.