The country tightened its gun laws to restrict access to semi-automatic rifles in 1992. (Representational Image)
Wellington, New Zealand:
New Zealand police said a gunman who allegedly shot four officers surrendered peacefully today after an overnight seige at a rural property.
The stand-off started on Wednesday morning, when a plane being used to search for cannabis came under fire near the remote North Island town of Kawerau.
The Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) was deployed and four of its officers were shot and injured as the man holed up in the property, refusing to come out.
At one point, police deployed three light armoured vehicles supplied by the military to protect officers involved in the seige.
Commissioner Mike Bush said the man, who has not been named, gave himself up at about 9:00am (2000 Wednesday GMT), some 20 hours after the stand-off began.
"The male surrendered without incident and has been taken into custody," he said.
"Our priority was always to resolve this without further risk to police staff or the public."
Bush said two of the injured officers remained in hospital, one in a serious but stable condition.
"They are in good spirits, despite the traumatic events which they have experienced in the last 24 hours," he added.
No one was injured aboard the plane that originally came under fire during the drug operation.
Regular police in New Zealand do not carry firearms, relying on the specialist AOS.
The country tightened its gun laws to restrict access to semi-automatic rifles in 1992, two years after a mentally disturbed man shot dead 13 people in the South Island town of Aramoana.
However, anyone over 16 can apply for a standard firearms licence after doing a safety course, which allows them to purchase and use a shotgun unsupervised.
The stand-off started on Wednesday morning, when a plane being used to search for cannabis came under fire near the remote North Island town of Kawerau.
The Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) was deployed and four of its officers were shot and injured as the man holed up in the property, refusing to come out.
At one point, police deployed three light armoured vehicles supplied by the military to protect officers involved in the seige.
Commissioner Mike Bush said the man, who has not been named, gave himself up at about 9:00am (2000 Wednesday GMT), some 20 hours after the stand-off began.
"The male surrendered without incident and has been taken into custody," he said.
"Our priority was always to resolve this without further risk to police staff or the public."
Bush said two of the injured officers remained in hospital, one in a serious but stable condition.
"They are in good spirits, despite the traumatic events which they have experienced in the last 24 hours," he added.
No one was injured aboard the plane that originally came under fire during the drug operation.
Regular police in New Zealand do not carry firearms, relying on the specialist AOS.
The country tightened its gun laws to restrict access to semi-automatic rifles in 1992, two years after a mentally disturbed man shot dead 13 people in the South Island town of Aramoana.
However, anyone over 16 can apply for a standard firearms licence after doing a safety course, which allows them to purchase and use a shotgun unsupervised.
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