Auckland stand-off: Charges not yet laid

Charges are yet to be decided for a man at the centre of a 19-hour armed stand-off with police at a house in Auckland's Eastern Beach.

The 38-year-old is now in custody and assisting police with enquiries after he was arrested this morning.

Teargas was used at the property where the man had been holed up since before 1pm yesterday, in order to safely arrest him, police said. No shots were fired.

Police were called to the scene following a domestic incidence at the address over the weekend. As officers approached the house, the man refused to engage with police, and because he had a firearm the area surrounding the Esplanade at Eastern Beach was cordoned off.

The Armed Offenders Squad and the police negotiation teams were called to the scene.

"The man was spoken to throughout the evening but a decision was made not to enter the address to assure his safety, and the safety of police officers at the scene," police said today.

"At around 8am this morning tear gas was deployed into the address and the man was safely apprehended. No shots were fired. Cordons around the scene were lifted as soon as it was deemed safe, which was around 8.30am this morning."

Charges against the man were yet to be decided, Inspector Wendy Spiller, Area Commander Counties Manukau East, said.

She thanked the public for their patience while the area was cordoned.

"The safety of members of the public is our priority when we attend any incident that involves firearms," she said.

"We are very aware that having cordons in place for this type of incident can cause issues with commuter traffic, and having so many police vehicles in the area can create some disturbances.

"We're thankful for the support of the public during this time and very happy to have resolved the incident peacefully."

By NZME. News Service

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