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A body has been found in the car of a gunman who remains on the run in the lower North Island, police say.
The man, believed to be armed with a shotgun, has allegedly shot and wounded a farmer and fired at police, police spokeswoman Kim Perks says.
Police warn residents of Norsewood, 20km northeast of Dannevirke, and nearby Ormondville and Takapau to stay inside, lock their doors and stay away from windows.
The armed offenders squad has been deployed and police have closed State Highway 2 between Norsewood and Waipukurau to the northeast while they hunt for the man.
Travellers poured into Norsewood's Crown Hotel on Sunday afternoon with "100 different accounts" of what has happened, the publican saus.
They ate everything on offer before leaving town when they were able to at about 8pm.
The drama began when police received a complaint from a member of the public about bad driving. Police stopped the car about 3.45pm just north of Dannevirke and carried out a breath test, which the driver failed.
The driver then took off and police briefly gave chase before calling off the pursuit for safety reasons.
However, police came across the car, crashed, at Butcher's Creek, north of Norsewood.
"The officer approached the vehicle and a man started to get out of the vehicle carrying a firearm. The officer ran back towards his vehicle and heard the shotgun discharged," Perks says.
"A short time later, two farm workers came across a man with a shotgun on nearby land.
"The man suggested he was hunting rabbits and was advised by the farm workers that he should not be doing so.
"As the farm workers returned to their truck, the shotgun was discharged towards them injuring one of the men in the shoulder."
The man is in hospital but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Police, meanwhile, searched the gunman's car and found a man's body in it.
They were trying to confirm the identity but do not believe it is the offender.
Police believe they know who the gunman is but are not releasing his name.
They describe him as a stocky 46-year-old Caucasian, about 170cm tall.
He should not be approached, and any sightings should be reported to police, Perks says.
Residents should monitor the media for updates around public safety and road closures, he says.
Further information will be made available as soon as police have it.
Police do not know when SH2 will reopen but say diversions are in place.
People travelling north should turn left at Norsewood Village
into Ngamoko Road, then left into Ellison Road, right into
Snee
Road and follow that until it joined SH2. The reverse applied for
those travelling south.
Some roads on the diversion route are gravel, and there are some narrow bridges, police say.
However, adverse weather conditions are causing difficulties to motorists using the diversion route that has been put in place.
State Highway 2 will be remaining closed overnight between the Takapau township and the Dannevirke side of Norsewood. Motorists are advised not to travel through this location until further notice as they may well find they are unable to use the diversion route.
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