Police have cordoned off part of a Hamilton suburb where a search is on for a fleeing driver who abandoned his car while allegedly armed with a firearm.
The incident happened after a routine police patrol saw a vehicle speeding at Te Rapa about 10.20am.
The drive "fled at speed'', went around a roundabout the wrong way and forced other motorists to take evasive action, said Inspector Karen Henrikson.
"The car has carried on into Jamieson Cres where the driver has lost control and one of his car's tyres blew out as he mounted the kerb,'' she said.
The offender left the car and ran into two nearby properties.
"A witness yelled out to pursuing staff to be careful because the man was armed with a firearm so as a precaution an area was cordoned off and the assistance of the Waikato Armed Offenders Squad was sought to clear the properties without placing our staff or the public at risk,'' she said.
The offender was not found and inquiries are being made to locate him, she said.
The car has been confiscated, and police believe the motorist is a forbidden driver known to police.
