A wanted man has been shot by police this morning after an armed standoff in a Hamilton carpark.

Acting Waikato District Commander Inspector Will Loughrin said a man is in Waikato Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police responded to reports of a vehicle driving erratically on Cambridge Rd, Te Awamutu, just before 9am.

“Initial information suggested the driver was wanted by police in relation to prior serious incidents,” Loughrin said.

Police monitored the vehicle’s movements, and deployed units to Ulster St, where the vehicle was located trying to leave a carpark.

“Officers stopped the vehicle from leaving, before the man presented a shotgun,” he said.

Police ordered the man to put the shotgun down, which he failed to do.

Loughrin said an officer then fired two shots at the man.

“Officers provided immediate medical assistance, and St John transported the man to hospital, where he remains in a moderate condition,” Loughrin said.

“His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.”

He said a second person in the vehicle was taken into custody at the scene.

Loughrin confirmed no police staff were injured during the incident.

Loughrin said Ulster St remains closed from the Mill St intersection, and traffic is being diverted down Richmond St.

“Members of the public are advised to avoid the area, as road closures are expected to remain in place for several hours,” Loughrin said.

“We want to reassure the community that there is no ongoing public safety risk following this incident.”

He said a critical incident investigation into the incident has begun, and the incident will also be referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA), as is standard procedure for any incident involving a police shooting.

Members of the public had earlier been warned to avoid the area and expect delays.

A manager of a motel behind the cordon said he heard two gunshots about 9.45am, which he first thought were tyre sounds, before police arrived.

More than 20 police vehicles were at the cordon, he said.

The manager said he heard someone had been shot at shops near a motel.

Police have blocked streets in central Hamilton this morning as they investigate an incident.

Another motel worker told the Herald they heard gunshots between 9.30am and 10am.

A nearby resident also said he heard gunfire, and police told him to stay home.

A resident, who did not want to be named, said the Ulster St was home to a large ammount of emergency housing. A motel on Abbotsford St is now taped off.

A police spokesperson said there are cordons along Ulster and Abbotsford Sts in Whitiora.

Some residents could be seen being escorted by police to their houses.

Hato Hone St John responded to the incident with two rapid response vehicles and one ambulance.

A man was taken to hospital outside the Ulster St superette in the Hamilton suburb of Whitiora where police shut down several streets on February 4, 2026. Photo / Facebook