An armed man who had been on the run in South Australia for more than 24 hours has been arrested.

Officers found Jake Dohnt, 25, north of Port Wakefield about 5.40pm on Tuesday and took him into custody following a search after he allegedly pointed a handgun at police in Wallaroo on Monday.

Wallaroo was put into partial lockdown and an officer fired a shot at him.

Police had searched houses and other properties in the Yorke Peninsula town on Tuesday to find him.

Inspector Alison Clark said police had tried to contact the 25-year-old on his mobile phone and had pleaded for Mr Dohnt to return SMS messages and calls made to him on Tuesday.

Jake Dohnt. Photo: AAP/South Australian Police

The aim had been to “encourage Jake to come forward to the police so that we can work with him and resolve this situation safely and peacefully with no one getting hurt”.

Inspector Clark had said it was believed Dohnt had been in the Wallaroo area before his arrest.

It was also believed some people in the town were helping him evade police.

“My message to them is that by harbouring Jake Dohnt they are committing serious offences,” Inspector Clark said.

Police had lifted the exclusion zone in Wallaroo by Tuesday afternoon and established a forward command at the nearby Kadina police station.

That allowed some residents who had been unable to access their properties to go home.

Salvation Army Copper Coast Corps Captain Karen Armstrong said about 30 people were provided a meal at the town hall.

Some of them were then allowed back to their homes under police escort. Some stayed with friends or relatives and the remainder were found accommodation.

“You get those that are hyped up with the excitement of the drama but also those with the reality setting in,” she said.

“There were people who had to leave behind pets or medication.

“The council has followed up with those people and, at this stage, they’ve all been able to go back home.”

Dohnt was wanted after SA police tried to pull him over on the Spencer Highway at 1am on Monday.

He allegedly refused and continued on before being seen again about 1pm, when he allegedly pointed the handgun at police, near the area that was put into lockdown.