Police say invesitgations are ongoing. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

An Alice Springs police officer has fired shots at a vehicle in what has been described as a “high-stakes violent encounter” overnight.

Police said three rounds were fired after a man allegedly drove his car at officers.

About 10:30pm, police responded to disturbance outside the Todd Tavern involving multiple people, when a 38-year-old man is alleged to have driven his blue ute towards police standing on the road and footpath on Wills Terrace, and rammed a parked police car, which still had an officer inside.

Another officer fired three rounds, which hit the vehicle, but police say no-one was struck.

The alleged offender was taken to hospital for a precautionary assessment, while the officer in the parked car was also taken to hospital with minor injuries and has been released.

NT Police Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said the matter was “declared a serious custody incident”, but said it was too soon to outline the alleged offender’s involvement and whether or not they had been intoxicated at the time.

He described the circumstances as dangerous for those involved, but said it was vital the officers protected themselves.

“Once the adrenaline dies down and the investigation moves forward, those officers are stuck with that in their minds forever, knowing what could have been,” he said.

“If the police officer didn’t take the action he took and he was struck by that vehicle, I’m quite certain — having now seen some of the evidence that’s available — that he would have been seriously injured, if not killed.”

Southern Commander James Gray-Spence said multiple arrests were made in relation to the the “high-stakes violent encounter”.

“It’s a traumatic and dangerous event for everyone at the scene,” he said.

“We had three officers specifically impacted by the event, in the wider response that was occurring along Wills Terrace at the time.

“I think it’s clear that this is an example where police are forced to make split-second decisions under extreme pressure, and when you’ve got a vehicle that’s ramming police vehicles, our officers have to act decisively to protect the community and their colleague.”

NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole said “our officers are entitled to protect themselves and others when faced with immediate threat”.

“The deliberate targeting of our hard-working officers is absolutely abhorrent and we will not stand for it.

“Every time our officers attend an incident, they are putting their lives at risk to keep the community safe.

“This is a clear example of the split-second decisions our officers can be forced to make whilst protecting the community.”

Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) president Nathan Finn has travelled to Alice Springs to support members involved in the “critical incident”.

In a statement, the NTPA said this was an “extremely serious and dangerous incident” that “underscores the escalating risks our members face while carrying out their duties to protect the Northern Territory community”.