The officer was one of two shot at when they stopped a car in the suburb of Massey on Friday morning, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said at a press conference. The other is in hospital in serious condition, while a member of the public is also being treated for minor injuries after being hit by the car as it fled the scene.
A manhunt is now underway for two people in the car. Schools in the immediate area have been locked down and police in the area are armed, Coster added.
New Zealand police generally don't carry guns. The country has a relatively low rate of gun-related crime, and incidents where police officers are killed in the line of duty are not common.
Since 1890, just 32 police officers have died from a criminal act while carrying out their duties, according to the New Zealand police website. The last to be killed was Senior Constable Len Snee, who was fatally wounded while carrying out a routine search warrant at a property in Napier in 2009.
"This is devastating news and absolutely the worst thing for us to deal with," Coster said. "This is a terrible day for us.
"What is clear is that this incident unfolded very quickly. The incident points to the real risk our officers face as they go about their jobs every day."
The issue of whether New Zealand police officers should be armed has been the subject of intense debate in recent weeks.
Following last year's Christchurch mosque shooting, in which 51 people were killed, police launched a controversial armed response team trial in three districts.
Coster announced last week that the trial would not continue, saying the armed teams "do not align with the style of policing that New Zealanders expect."
"We police with the consent of the public, and that is a privilege," he said in a statement at the time.
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