UPDATED 6.52pm The man arrested after a major Bay of Plenty police operation was texting his mother, and his cousins, while authorities had his house surrounded last night.

27-year-old Rhys Warren has been charged with four counts of using a firearm against a police officer, after the near-24 hour incident near Kawerau.

MORE: Alleged gunman appears in court

Family spokesperson Ripeka Lessels told Larry Williams his whanau is unhappy with how the police acted.

"He's told his mother that the police shot up the house. That's what he's told his mother over the phone last night. So, you can imagine his mother's been very much on edge all night."

LISTEN ABOVE: Ripeka Lessels speaks to Larry Williams

It was only after Taupo police area commander Warwick Morehu was sent in that the alleged gunman came out.

Lessels said the situation only ended the way it did because Mr Morehu went in, so he should have been brought in sooner.

"Had he been notified from the outset, and he'd been a part of this from the outset, we might not have stayed here all night."

MORE: Siege ends, gunman in custody

Earlier today, Warren's mother said the family “still love our son.”

Renee Wetini said the siege‘s peaceful end could serve as a lesson for others. The family had wanted to be involved from the outset and if they had not, the outcome could have been “devastating.”

“We still love our son and we’re very happy with the outcome, couldn’t have done it without the whanau. This is what we wanted all along. We felt that we couldn’t do it without the whanau intervention. We beleive that maybe police will be able to use this as an example… rather than going in guns blazing.

“We’ve got a big bridge to get over, it’s the next hope. But our first step was to try and get involvement, through discussions and negotiations with top level MPs and also down to police."

Warren surrendered after negotiations led by Taupo police area commander Inspector Warwick Morehu.

“It is very good to have this result, obviously we don’t know what happened yesterday, it is very scary,” Ms Wetini said. “I feel for the police and their families.”