Two police officers were hit by their own tactical spray while trying to arrest a fleeing suspect in Hamilton.
Officers were called to Te Rapa New World at around 3pm on Thursday after reports of a person of interest was there.
Once the officers arrived at the scene, they told the man he was under arrest but he actively resisted being handcuffed, police said.
Officers then told the man tactical spray would be used if he continued to resist arrest.
"He did not comply and one officer used gel spray - which is a more targeted spray, suitable for indoor use - on the male," police said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, this was ineffectual and the officer who used it suffered some effects from it."
After the tactical spray didn't work, the suspect ran out of the store and was followed by the second officer.
The second officer told the man he would deploy his taser, but it was never used. The man continued to resist arrest when the officer attempted to handcuff him.
The officer used O/C spray (pepper spray) but was ineffective on the suspect and the officer suffered some 'blow-back' from the spray.
"The male attempted to get into the passenger seat of another person's vehicle, but he was successfully taken into custody by other police officers," the statement said.
The 48-year-old male is expected to face charges including assaulting police and resisting police.
Local Tejinder Pal Singh, who works for NZ Courier, filmed the incident as it unfolded and said a supermarket employee assisted police in arresting the suspect.
"After that I heard the officer scream very loudly, so I stopped filming and the man ran away," Singh told NZ Herald.
"I wanted to chase after him but I was afraid,"
This dramatic incident comes just three days after a bystander captured the vicious moment a man punched a female police officer in the face - knocking her out
The ordeal took place in the middle of a road in the Auckland suburb of Manurewa on Monday afternoon.
After punching the officer the man then tried to approach a second officer, before a third tasered him. The man then fell face first to the ground, while members of the public appeared to rush over to the injured and unconscious officer on the road.
"The officer involved was knocked unconscious during this incident, and is now off work recovering. She is being well supported by her colleagues," police said in a statement this week.
