Armed police respond to serious incident in Auckland CBD
Police said the incident is on Queen Street, near Britomart and armed police are responding to the incident.
"The public is asked to please stay indoors and avoid the area," a police spokesperson said.
The police Eagle Helicopter can be seen overhead in Commercial Bay and footage filmed by Newshub shows workers standing around on Quay Street.
"Further information will be provided when available," the spokesperson said.
What we know:
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Police responding to "serious incident" on Quay Street, Auckland CBD.
Police are asking the public stay indoors and avoid the area.
Follow Newshub's live updates below. App users click here for the latest updates.
8:14am - Reporter Emma Olsen told AM a serious incident is unfolding in Commercial Bay in Auckland.
She said armed police are responding and the public is asked to stay away and stay indoors.
"I've never seen so many police cars in one place before," she said.
There are over 30 police cars in the area and the armed offenders squad ran into a building just before 8am.
Olsen said 30-40 police officers went into the building and she hasn't seen any come out.
Construction workers have been evacuated from all Commercial Bay buildings.
"Several members of the public standing around still, filming," she said.
8:09am - Deputy Mayor of Auckland Desley Simpson is urging Aucklanders to stay home and avoid the city.
"We anticipate traffic will be backed up, so please avoid travel to the area," she said in a statement.
"Still waiting for information from the Police, and will provide an update when we can.
"Still waiting for information from the Police, and will provide an update when we can."
8:06am - Newshub understands members of the public have been escorted into buildings around Quay St for their own safety.
A witness said other people have been taken to the ferry terminal. They have heard what they believe to be several gunshots.
8:05am - Photos from the scene show a large police presence in downtown Auckland.
8:02am - Reporter Emma Olsen told AM workers have been evacuated from the Commercial Bay building.
"It looks as though it's on the 13th or 14th floor. If you look up, you can see construction workers hiding behind concrete bollards," she said.
"Earlier I saw people on the 13th floor, below the people on the 14th floor, and they started running across the floor. Unsure exactly what is going on up there, but one of the workers who was inside told me they saw someone with a gun."
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⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!