By James Murray and Dan Satherley
Two men have been arrested after two Christchurch policemen were shot and a police dog killed during a routine house check this morning.
Watch video of the AOS catching the gunman, where they unleash a dog and there is the sound of gunshot.
Police have cordoned off part of the Christchurch suburb of Phillipstown, including parts of Cashel St, Hereford St, Linwood Ave and Buccleugh St.
See photos of the incident here
A 51-year-old senior constable was shot through the cheek and a 31-year-old constable was shot in the upper thigh. In both cases the bullets, either from a .22 or .308 rifle, passed through them. Both men are being treated in Christchurch Hospital.
Watch a video of a witness to the event talking to 3 News.
Listen to two phone interviews with witnesses.
Canterbury police commander Superintendent Dave Cliff told reporters this afternoon that the two officers turned up with the dog at the house, responding to an alert about a psychiatric patient. When two men came out, the officers smelled cannabis, and one of the men went back in the house while the other was being arrested.
The officers were wearing bullet-proof vests and went back into the house when the shooting occurred. They managed to escape and call for backup.
Police Minister Judith Collins confirmed two officers had been injured, but said their injuries were not life-threatening. She also confirmed a dog had been killed.
"I am being updated as events unfold," Ms Collins said.
"I will be travelling to Christchurch this afternoon, and hope to visit the officers involved, and offer any support I can.
"This incident serves to remind us that the job police do in keeping the community safe can be dangerous and unpredictable."
The police dog has now been wrapped up and put in the back of the police dog handlers’ vehicle, the dog was the 23rd killed in the line of duty since 1972.
The last dog to be killed was called Enzo in Tauranga in 2007.
The shooting occurred on Buccleugh Street after police were called to an incident at 11am this morning.
Armed police surrounded a house and negotiated with a person involved in the incident. The man came out of the house surrounded by police – his shirt covered with blood.
That man is now in custody and is helping police with their enquiries.
About eight police vehicles remain outside the house and people in the area had been asked to stay indoors.
Hannah Johnson, 18, was in her flat on Buccleugh St when the incident happened outside her home.
"I was sitting in my room and I heard all these guys, so I went and looked out my gate and there was this guy with his hands on his head, and the cops had him down on the ground then took him away," she told NZPA.
"I heard one gunshot, but that was further down the road."
Ms Johnson said the police stayed in the area for some time after the incident.
"They're just standing behind their cars with these massive guns."
Another eyewitness, who lived across the road from the house, said he heard police shouting that a dog had been shot.
Steven Parker, 43, said he saw armed police rush into the house and heard one shot after that.
"The cops went in at one stage, the armos (AOS) went in, I heard a whole lot of shouting and then I heard one shot," he said.
"I heard them shouting that a police dog had been shot," Mr Parker said.
Phillipstown was known for a high crime rate, he said .
"All sorts of interesting things go down in Phillipstown," he said
"I've probably seen eight to 10 armed offenders."
Another local resident, who declined to be named, said the immediate area "wasn't particularly bad" but there had been three murders in Olliviers Road, which adjoins Buccleugh St, in recent years.
3 News /NZPA