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\nA cordon is in place on Ulster Street in Hamilton.
\nPhoto: Libby Kirkby-McLeod\n<\/p>\n
A person has been taken to hospital in a critical condition as police swarm a Hamilton street and close off a hotel.<\/p>\n
A motel staff member inside the cordon along Ulster Street and Abbotsford Street in the suburb of Whitiora said they heard gunshots about 10am on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
St John said they were called to the scene just before 10am and had taken a critically injured person to Waikato Hospital.<\/p>\n
A police spokesperson said cordons were in place while they responded to an incident but did not provide further details.<\/p>\n
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\nPhoto: Libby Kirkby-McLeod\n<\/p>\n
An RNZ reporter at the scene said police cars could be seen parked in the street and police officers are going door-to-door speaking with people.<\/p>\n
They declined to answer questions.<\/p>\n
A resident who wanted to go home had been told by police he was not able to at this time.<\/p>\n
Alpha Motel manager Ford McArley, inside the cordon, said he also heard something before police arrived at the scene.<\/p>\n
“I started drilling in the rooms to put TVs on the wall and just heard what sounded like two car tyres, and didn’t think anything of it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“And then right outside the motel, there were police everywhere.”<\/p>\n
McArley said police weren’t saying much about what happened.<\/p>\n
He said it wasn’t typical of the street.<\/p>\n
“I’ve been here just about three months now, and we’ve never had the street blocked off like this,” McArley said.<\/p>\n
Police were expected to speak to media about what happened on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n