Police assistant commissioner Richard Chambers is speaking about both incidents.

In Auckland, witness told RNZ they understood a man stole car in Greenlane, crashed, and there was a "shootout" with the police.

The witness says the shooter then got into another car, crashed in Penrose, and there was another shootout.

The intersection of Great South Road and the south-eastern highway was cordoned off.

Last night in Hamilton, police shot and killed a man in an exchange of gunfire in suburb of Hillcrest.

Waikato district commander superintendent Bruce Bird says officers were confronted by an armed man when they went to an O'Donoghue Street property about 7.50pm seeking a person thought to be in possession of firearms.

He says a number of shots were fired by both police and the man.

Police cordoned off a street in Hamilton after officers fatally shot a man at an O'Donoghue St property in Hillcrest. Photo: RNZ / Andrew McRae.

-RNZ