Police have yet to prove a person with a gun was involved in a call that led to an armed stalemate at a Belmont home in Auckland on Thursday.
A house in Kāinga Ora was surrounded by police after they received a report of a person with a firearm at 10:47 a.m. Thursday. Five local schools, including Takapuna Grammar, were subsequently locked.
Ricky Wilson / Stuff
Officers were heading to the back of the orange-roofed property in Belmont on Auckland’s north coast.
Inspector Stefan Sagar, commander of the Waitematā East area, said a lot of effort had gone into searching CCTV and speaking with witnesses, but police had not proved the weapon existed.
“We want to reassure the community that our investigations to date have not substantiated the first information that reported to the police that a person had been seen with a firearm.
“Police must act on information provided to us, and we take incidents allegedly involving firearms incredibly seriously,” he said.
Earlier on Friday, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said at a news conference that he would not comment on whether they caught the person — or if anyone was in the house during the standoff — citing the ongoing investigation.
Police say they still have not spoken to anyone involved in the call.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police on 105, quoting file number 220707/9310.
You can also reach Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.