A man in Christchurch allegedly stole a police dog handler's vehicle this morning, using it to then flee arrest.
Police said they are still seeking the person allegedly involved, and that an internal investigation had been launched to determine the full circumstances of what happened.
The officer had been attending an incident in Hoon Hay.
"An [alleged] offender had been located and sustained a dog bite, however he managed to evade arrest and entered the vehicle, which had been left running, using it to flee," a police spokesperson said.
"The vehicle was pursued for a short time by other units, however they lost sight of it."
The vehicle was discovered abandoned at around 8am on Sheppard Place in St Albans.
"The officer's ID card was stolen, along with a petrol card, however no other police items or equipment were taken," police said.
"The vehicle will be now be towed and forensically examined."
During the incident, two patrol vehicles collided at the intersection of Straven Road and Rata Street, sustaining moderate damage, but no officers were injured.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 105.
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