Armed police clear Napier suburb
Armed police swarmed a Napier suburb on Thursday afternoon, blocking roads and using a loudspeaker to demand someone leave a house during an unannounced operation.
Officers cordoned off Leicester Ave in Tamatea as a precaution while making inquiries to locate people of interest, police said. Those people were not located during the search.
Footage from the scene showed tactical officers stationed outside a property near Coventry Ave and Westminster Ave. Police lifted the cordons at approximately 4 p.m.
“Those people were not located and police will continue to make further enquiries in regards to their whereabouts,” police said in an update reported by 1News.
Tamatea Primary School received notification of the operation from the Ministry of Education. Administrators confirmed that the school did not enter a lockdown.
“We have been told there is no need for a lockdown and they will keep us updated,” Tamatea Primary School said in a Facebook post cited by 1News. “Your tamariki are all safe at school as we continue to monitor this.”
Armed officers surround property near Leicester Ave
Nearby residents watched as armed officers surrounded a property near the intersection of Leicester Ave and Southwark Ave. According to local witnesses, police used a loudspeaker to demand an occupant exit the building, the NZ Herald reported.
Police confirmed that ongoing inquiries will involve armed officers. Authorities maintained that there is no active threat to public safety following the search.
Why police closed Leicester Ave in Napier
Why was Leicester Ave closed in Napier?
Police blocked Leicester Ave in the Napier suburb of Tamatea on Thursday afternoon to conduct an armed operation. Cordons were put in place as a precaution while officers attempted to locate people of interest at a local property.
Were the suspects found during the Tamatea operation?
No, the individuals police were searching for were not located inside the property. Police lifted the road cordons at approximately 4 p.m. and said that inquiries into their whereabouts are ongoing.
Did the police operation affect local schools?
Tamatea Primary School remained open during the incident after receiving advice from the Ministry of Education. School administrators confirmed that students were safe and that a lockdown was unnecessary.
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