It's been almost four days, but police still haven't managed to locate a man accused of shooting at several officers with a semi-automatic firearm early on Sunday morning.
The search for Rollie James Heke has now gone nationwide, and police warn anyone protecting him could be in danger.
The 36-year-old allegedly shot at three officers during a police chase in Morrinsville early on Sunday, before escaping.
The resultant police investigation has seen armed officers surround a house in the Waikato town, but Heke still hasn't been found.
Waikato police's Detective Superintendent Chris Page confirmed the search has gone nationwide, in a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
"Our sense is Rollie is no longer in the Morrinsville area," he said.
"What worries us is that the criminals that are assisting Rollie may not know that he is unpredictable and has in the past used violence against associates."
The public shouldn't approach him if they do see him, with Supt Page warning Heke is "unpredictable [and] dangerous".
But even before this latest incident, Supt Page says they've been looking for him "for a long time".
"We've been looking for Rollie since September 2016… The recent events just reinforce that he needs to come in."
Supt Page said they're not sure where he could be and are investigating across the country. Heke is known to have links to Hamilton, Auckland and Tauranga, including gang connections.
Newshub.
