NZ police acknowledge IPCA report 15 July

Police acknowledges the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s findings that the shooting of a man on the grounds of Flaxmere Primary School in December last year was justified.

Police responded to reports of a man behaving in a threatening manner at the school on 17 December 2019.

Attending officers upon arrival saw the man had a pistol tucked into the front of his clothing, and subsequently one officer went to retrieve firearms from the Police vehicle.

A Police dog was deployed to apprehend the man, but before the dog got to him, the man pulled out what appeared to be a pistol and actioned it in order to chamber a round.

Officer A fired once at the man who was immediately incapacitated from the shot. He received serious but not life threatening injuries and has fully recovered.

A Taser was earlier deployed but was unsuccessful due to the distance of the officer from the man.

The report notes that part of Officer A’s decision-making involved the threat to his colleagues’ safety.

“This incident is an example of the dynamic decision-making our officers are expected to make every day, in order to keep themselves and other people safe,” Eastern District Commander Superintendent Tania Kura says.

“This was an evolving situation where an agitated individual with a weapon posed a risk to not only our staff, but pupils and staff members of a primary school.”

The school was locked down for around an hour across the end of the school day until the situation was made safe.

“I am pleased that my officers were able to exercise their good judgement and bring this matter to conclusion,” Supt. Kura says.

The man is currently serving a period of 18 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to a charge of unlawfully carrying an imitation firearm.

/NZ Police Public Release. View in full here.