A 28-year-old man is facing various charges following an armed offenders squad (AOS) callout to an address on the Luggate-Cromwell Rd (SH6) last Wednesday.

Alexandra Police Senior Constable Graham Perkins said officers were called to a domestic dispute after hearing the offender was using a knife aggressively, including marking walls in the house and then also turning on his partner.

The AOS was called from Dunedin and members of the public highlighted the increased police presence in the area over social media channels.

Snr Const Perkins said the man had also prevented his partner from leaving the house, but she managed to escape and flagged down a truck driver on the state highway, who gave her a ride to the Wānaka Police Station.

A search warrant of his property found no firearms, but the knife was located after the police negotiators were able to convince the offender out of the house.

Snr Const Perkins said the man faced charges of using an offensive weapon, assault and intentional damage.

A fifth person involved in a serious street fight in Alexandra last month has also been charged with disorderly behaviour.

Snr Const Perkins said nobody else was sought in connection with the incident, after a man was ‘king hit’ from behind after leaving a local bar.

The offenders were aged between 19 and 37 and have also had their firearms suspended “because they are facing charges of violence,” he said.

Snr Const Perkins said police were starting to crack down on firearms licence suspensions, including those with drink driving charges, depending on the seriousness of the offending.

In some instances, people would receive a warning letter in the mail first, but after that would be required to hand in their firearms, pending the outcome of their court case.

It has also been a very busy time for police over winter on the roads. To hear more about that, tune into The Outlet podcast this Friday.

In other news, Snr Const Perkins attended an incident on August 18 near Butchers Dam where a milk tanker had broken down on the passing lane, after losing his drive shaft.

The driver had to wait for a tow truck from Gore to move his vehicle and the milk inside the truck also had to be drained to stop it perishing.

“It was just unfortunate for him,” he said.