UPDATE: Driver responsible for Christchurch road chaos appears in court

A suspected burglar and gang member who led police on a pursuit through Christchurch this afternoon, narrowly missing a police officer laying road spikes and a member of the public pointing him out, has been caught in spectacular fashion.

Police were alerted to the man in a black Mazda after reports of a burglary of a Grafton St house shortly after 3pm.

The driver took off and is alleged to have tried running over a police officer laying road spikes. It was allegedly a near miss, the Herald has been told.

The spikes punctured some of the car's tyres but he continued driving through the city, busy with school traffic and commuters.

He was seen driving on the wrong side of the road and going through red lights.

Around Philpotts Rd, he nearly drove at a pedestrian, said police sergeant Chris Barker who was involved in the pursuit.

The chase was called off several times for safety reasons.

They lost him around the Mairehau area but picked him up again on Innes Rd.

Several marked and unmarked police cars were involved in tracking him down, as members of the public pointed down streets to indicate where he had gone.

On Cranford St, between Dee and Malvern streets, he allegedly rammed a police car, Barker said.

Two police cars then drove a wedge in front of him, hitting the front of the vehicle, while a third unmarked police car smashed into its side. A fourth rammed him from behind.

Barker said the driver then appeared to reach for something in the backseat.

Officers smashed the passenger side window while others tasered him and dragged him out of the car.

A witness said the man tried putting up a fight before he was arrested.

He was bleeding from the face and white material was placed over his head as he was put in the back of a police car.

"He was squealing a bit," one man said.

Another woman said: "He was yelling, 'Leave me alone. I haven't done anything'."

There was nobody else in the car. Nobody else was injured. It's not yet known if the car was stolen.

Barker said it was a fairly low-speed pursuit, given the flat tyres, but it became dangerous when the man allegedly drove at police, a member of the public, and on the wrong side of the road.