Hokitika police boarded a moving driverless 10-tonne bus, and presented a Taser at the occupant after he allegedly crashed into two police cars.
Hokitika police tried to wave down the bus, after it was spotted on State Highway 6 without any lights on, at 9pm on Friday.
A strategic traffic unit had pulled over to the side of the road and activated its lights, with the driver of the bus deliberately ramming the patrol car before heading north, Constable Rhys Martin, of Hokitika, said.
A second police vehicle followed the bus, which was travelling at 10kmh, over the Hokitika bridge and numerous attempts were made to get the driver to pull over.
However, the driver, a 36-year-old Hokitika man, refused, Const Martin said.
A third police car pulled up beside the bus, with the driver of the bus swerving into it on the bridge, damaging the patrol car.
Police continued their slow-moving pursuit of the vehicle, but were stunned to see the driver leave his seat and walk to the rear of the bus to "gesture" at police from the rear window, Const Martin said.
While the bus continued to move at 10kmh along the bridge in its own lane, police boarded the bus and presented a Taser at the driver. He was apprehended without further incident, with the whole incident taking 15 minutes over 1.8km.
Alcohol was believed to be a factor, he said.
The man appeared in the Greymouth District Court charged with assault with a weapon and being an unlicensed driver, failing to comply with prohibition.
Further serious charges were likely, Const Martin said.
