Firearms incident in Palmerston North resolved after four hours

A firearms incident in Palmerston North is over, with the arrest of a man police spent four hours persuading to give himself up after he waved a gun at them.

Armed police cordoned off a Palmerston North street to negotiate with a man with a gun who refused to come out of his property. On Sunday, about 8.45pm, police used tear gas, before the man was arrested.

Cordons were in place at each end of Clyde Cres, in Roslyn, where the man was, and residents were asked to stay indoors after the standoff began about 4.40pm on Sunday.

Police were already in the area to make inquires about a "fleeing driver incident" when the man "presented a firearm" at officers.

Many residents down Clyde Cres remained inside their houses during the standoff, with children seen looking out the window of one property and police talking to residents at another. A few were allowed to leave just after 6.30pm.

Briony Findlay lives along the street, about two doors along, although she couldn't see the house from inside hers.

"They've surrounded a house and we can hear them trying to negotiate and getting him outside the house," she said of police during the standoff.

"They've just asked him to come out unarmed."

After a quiet period, she said police started calling for the man to come out again about 8.30pm.

Police were heard calling to the man by his name, saying: "You are surrounded by armed police. Come to the front door and have nothing in your hands."

Fifteen minutes later, huge police spotlights began to illuminate the house the man is inside. Shortly afterwards, three bangs were heard at the scene as the police used tear gas.

Findlay said after the bangs dogs started barking. She then heard a man shouting words she couldn't make out.

About 20 people were initially gathered at each of the crescent's intersections with Vogel St, a busy thoroughfare, where the cordons were in place, although rain saw the numbers dwindle as the evening went on.

At 6.45pm there was drama on Vogel St when a motorcyclist overtook a car driving slowly along the street, veered too far to the other side of the road and struck a woman getting into her car.

The motorcyclist tried to flee on foot, running into the cordoned-off Clyde Cres, where, about 50 metres down the road, he was tackled by police officers and taken away.

The woman was conscious and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

The incident was unrelated to the man with the gun, police said.

Clyde Cres residents Debbie Liggins, her partner and dog Millie turned up at the cordon, unable to get home.

On their way back from a day out at a Whanganui beach, Liggins received a call from her daughter saying it didn't look like they'd be able to get home.

"I thought 'nah, it's just a hoax'. She was a bit worried for us."

Liggins had spoken to police and they weren't sure how long the standoff would last. She said it was "very strange" to see such an incident in her neighbourhood.

Her partner, who would not be named, said he would be missing Married At First Sight. "That's drama. All this can wait."

He said such incidents weren't uncommon down the street. "Police and ambulance were here just the other night at 1am at a house down the road."

A man who lives on Vogel St, who would not be named, was making dinner when he saw police rush to the scene.

"It's not a good time to be bringing out a gun after Christchurch. He's going to get done for it," the resident said of the man with the gun.

A police spokeswoman said there were no reports of shots being fired and no-one is believed to have been injured.

A fire engine arrived at the scene before 6pm and an ambulance turned up about 6.10pm. At 6.45pm firefighters were seen putting their full kit on.