The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found two Armed Offenders Squad members were justified in shooting a Thames man in May of last year.
Vaughan William John Te Moananui, 33, was fatally shot by two members of the AOS after he confronted police officers with a firearm and ignored multiple requests to drop his weapon.
Waikato Police District Commander Bruce Bird says he accepts the findings of IPCA report released today.
'This was a tragic situation for Mr Te Moananui and his family and a stressful time for everyone involved. Police were confronted with a very difficult situation.”
The IPCA found both officers were justified, by law and the under Police policy, in shooting the 33-year-old man.
It says other tactical options, such as CS spray, were not appropriate because their use would require officers to get close to the offender.
The report adds that Te Moananui was carrying a loaded, raised firearm and had threatened to fire his weapon if he saw police.
The officers did not want to shoot Te Moananui, but given the risk he posed, they were left with no other option.
Sadly, the incident ended with the Te Moananui's death and police extend their sympathies to his family, says Bruce.
'I accept the findings of today's report, which concluded that the Police response was appropriate during this dynamic and dangerous event.”
Police also note the ICPA states police provided all reasonable medical assistance to Te Moananui before paramedics took over and transported him to Thames Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
5 comments
Not easy for all concerned.
Posted on 20-10-2016 21:45 | By morepork
The obvious questions (and they are probably not fair questions unless you were there):1. Did it have to be LETHAL force? (leg shot, arm shot?).2. In cases where "getting too close" is inadvisable (no pepper spray, CS gas, or taser...) why aren't we deploying net guns? These can be used from a decent distance and enable an offender to be quickly subdued with minimum risk to himself and Police. Having said all of that, the man had a gun and didn't put it down. The results were tragic but inevitable in the absence of other options. Police always have to make very difficult calls in these situations. Condolences to the family.
Morepork
Posted on 21-10-2016 07:57 | By Kenworthlogger
No Police force in the world uses net guns. They are not even an option in my opinion. Why would you bring a net gun to a gunfight? Let the Police do their job. Only the bad people get shot.
@KenWL
Posted on 21-10-2016 20:30 | By morepork
"Why would you bring a net gun to a gunfight?" Because it ISN'T a gunfight; it is a standoff, which should not become a gunfight. Net guns are used to capture very dangerous wild animals and for the last decade or so have been used with success by various Police Forces. Your comment: "No Police force in the world uses net guns." is simply uninformed and untrue. Please do a Google search with the key phrase; "Police use net guns" and you'll see for yourself. I don't believe net guns are a panacea for dealing with dangerous criminals, but it has to be better than lethal force, which should be a LAST RESORT. I don't accept that only "badpeople" get shot; good people sometimes make bad choices.
Morepork
Posted on 22-10-2016 11:55 | By Kenworthlogger
I have googled like you said and while the claim is law enforcement use this it does not specifically list any police force that does so my comment stands correct. When a civillian points a firearm at police it is a gunfight. The prisons are full of good people who made bad choices. I certainly would not surround myself with these good people... Would you???
@KenWL
Posted on 22-10-2016 14:17 | By morepork
If you dig a bit deeper than the first few responses there are named Police Departments who have been trialing the use of net guns since 1999, including Boston, Los Angeles, and the RCMP. Net guns are now part of the arsenal of over 20 Law Enforcement agencies around the World, and strides have been made in the technology to deploy them. (It simply isn't true that "No Police Dept. in the world uses net guns."; they certainly have the option to do so.) Please don't spin what I wrote regarding "bad people"; I qualified it with "sometimes" and never suggested that our jails are full of "good people". However, I am persuaded that a number of tragic deaths could have been avoided here in NZ, if non-lethal options other than taser had been available. When a Kiwi is killed, in my opinion, it diminishes all of us.
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