Police have made two further arrests after an altercation that left a man bleeding heavily outside an Auckland supermarket when shots were fired at a nearby vehicle.

The incident took place outside the Hobsonville Woolworths car park on Tuesday afternoon.

Three people have now been arrested in relation to the violent episode.

Nearby shoppers told the Herald that the man was seen bleeding from his ear at 4.40pm after a witness reported hearing a “pop and then a crack”.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting said that, during the course of the altercation, a firearm was allegedly discharged in a public car park.

Police executed search warrants at three properties in West Auckland, seizing three vehicles and several items of interest.

Last night, police arrested a 25-year-old man in relation to the incident.

Police outside the Hobsonville Woolworths on Tuesday afternoon. Photo / RNZ, Calvin Samuel

That man was due to appear in the Waitākere District Court today on a charge of wounding with intent.

It follows an arrest yesterday morning of a 20-year-old man. He was also due to appear today on charges of assault with intent to rob and driving without a licence.

“The man who allegedly discharged the firearm appeared in court yesterday, and inquiries are ongoing to find anyone else who may have been involved,” Bunting said.

“We are reassuring members of the community that we take their safety very seriously. Our inquiries are ongoing, and we are not ruling out further arrests.”

A nearby worker told the Herald she saw a truck being driven erratically around the parking lot about the time of the incident.

A worker at a takeaway shop said she heard three loud bangs and shut her door immediately.

Jini, a nearby shopper, saw the aftermath of the incident and spoke to the injured man.

She told the Herald she was at the supermarket to buy a bag of chips and then ducked across to the liquor store, where she saw a black modified Jeep-style vehicle being driven in the wrong direction in the car park like a “maniac”.

The man driving appeared to be “very jittery“.

“There was a lot of noise, sounded like a pop and then a crack.”

She then saw a man in the car park bleeding from his ear.

She said lots of shoppers ran to help, including a paramedic who happened to be in the area.