A woman who allegedly threatened to kill Ministry of Social Development staff in Oamaru yesterday was quickly taken into custody.
But not until the agency had been forced into lockdown.
Acting Sergeant Neil Rushton of Oamaru said a 60-year-old woman was arrested outside the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) office after she allegedly made threats to staff, forcing the office into a lockdown, about 2.10pm.
"She had an argument with security there and ... she was threatening to kill staff at MSD. Police arrived and arrested her straight away," Sgt Rushton said.
As the incident unfolded, the MSD immediately put the building into lockdown.
The woman had made the alleged threat during an exchange with security staff.
"They did their drills ... She was outside sitting on the footpath against the building. Police arrived on the scene and found her sitting there," he said.
A member of the public, who happened to be arriving at the MSD at the time, told the Otago Daily Times he had tried to console the obviously distressed woman.
The woman was sitting outside and she told him the MSD was closed "because of me, because apparently I’m a nutcase".
The man said the alleged offender said "I may have said I have a gun and I’m going to shoot".
The police arrived as she made the comment.
Sgt Rushton said MSD policy was to immediately call police if any threats were made, "and they automatically go into lockdown".
"They would have kept the doors locked," he said.
The woman was being kept in custody yesterday afternoon and police were considering options to charge her.
Sgt Rushton appealed for witnesses who were in the vicinity at the time of the incident.
