Armed police called as precaution

It took multiple armed police officers to arrest a man in Feilding on burglary and theft charges.

A witness, who did not want to be identified, said about six police cars and several police officers stopped a purple Subaru stationwagon carrying a man and a woman on Kimbolton Rd about 1pm yesterday.

‘‘It was quite scary as there were a lot of cars and it was very close to my house. I wondered what was going on and then I saw the guns and that freaked me a bit,’’ the witness said.

Detective Sergeant Tim Moffatt, of Palmerston North, said the 27-year-old man was wanted on theft and burglary charges and police were carrying guns as a precautionary measure.

Police had received information the man may have been in possession of a firearm, he said.

‘‘When you have that sort of information you need to take the proper precautions in case the situation escalates,’’ Mr Moffatt said.

No firearms were found on the man or in the vehicle.

The witness said the police were dealing with the man for about an hour before he was taken away.

The man is due to appear in the Palmerston North District Court on October 25.

- © Fairfax NZ News