A man accused of shooting at police while holed up in a house during a standoff that lasted around 15 hours has appeared in court, where his mental health was considered.

Sonny Temaire Edwards answered charges of failing to stop for police, wilful damage, unlawful possession of a firearm, using a firearm against law enforcement, driving while suspended (third or subsequent offence), breach of supervision and two charges of demands to steal, when he appeared in the Hāwera District Court on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old farmer from Whanganui is charged in relation to an incident that began around 10.30pm on March 27 in Taranaki.

Police allege he failed to pull over for officers, fired shots at police and then took off, before the Armed Offenders Squad and a dog unit tracked him to a home on Achilles St, in Stratford, around 12.45am.

Cordons were in place while police negotiated with the man at the centre of the standoff. Photo / Ilona Hanne

Over the course of the day, cordons were established and the police negotiation team worked to bring the standoff to an end.

It is alleged Edwards fired further shots at police before he was taken into custody around 3pm. No one was injured during the incident.

In court, defence lawyer Nina Laird sought a psychiatric report for her client for the purpose of looking into his state of mind at the time of the alleged offending.

She said Edwards had already met with a forensic mental health nurse who had provided the court with recommendations.

Edwards made his appearance in court via audio-visual link from Whanganui prison, where he is being held in custody.

Laird said he was not in a position to enter pleas to his charges. She asked for the case to be remanded for four weeks.

Judge Tony Greig ordered the mental health report and remanded Edwards back into custody until his next appearance in court on May 2.

The judge said some of the charges Edwards faced were in relation to Palmerston North offending.

During last week’s standoff, schools in the area went into lockdown, some residents were asked to leave their homes and a part of State Highway 3 was closed.

Family and friends of the alleged offender gathered at the scene as it unfolded.

They had been communicating with the man and had also contacted Te Paati Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer for assistance in de-escalating the incident.

- Tara Shaskey, Open Justice