As stated by Southern District Commander Superintendent Paul Basham
Police acknowledge the findings of the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) which found that Police were justified in shooting an armed man near Invercargill last year.
On 19 March 2022, Police responded to an address in Dacre in search of a man thought to have seriously injured his former partner.
After refusing to engage with Police, the man fired a shot inside the property.
A short time later he fled in a vehicle at high speed, crashing into a Police car parked across the driveway.
The man eventually came to a stop on State Highway 1, exiting his vehicle and presenting a firearm and a knife.
When he ran toward members of the public, a Police Officer – identified only as Officer A – attempted to fire a sponge round. It failed to discharge.
The man repeatedly refused to follow Police instructions and attempted to enter multiple vehicles before smashing the window of a milk tanker with his firearm.
When he lunged at Police with the knife, Officer A made another attempt to fire a sponge round, which again failed.
Given the immediate threat to life to both officers and members of the public, Officer A drew his pistol and shot the man once.
The man required surgery and has since made a full recovery. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced in relation to the incident.
The woman involved in the family harm matter was not injured.
Southern District Commander Superintendent Paul Basham says this was a high-risk situation.
“I am proud of the way our officers handled this extremely dangerous and unpredictable situation and their actions are commendable. As always, we review and learn from these situations for the safety of our staff and the public.
“Thankfully, our officers were able to return home unharmed, however, we continue to provide support to them following what was an understandably distressing incident.”
