IPCA believes officer fired unfairly in shooting a fleeing armed man during a car chase in Auckland

“The Armed Offenders Squad was activated and two dog handlers followed to intervene when the man threatened the public,” an IPCA spokesperson said.

Thirty minutes after the chase, the first of three “armed interactions” took place at an intersection in Ellerslie.

“Although the man pointed a firearm at the officer, we found that the officer was not justified in shooting him due to the risk of accidentally hitting the driver of the fleeing vehicle (whose role in the events was unclear at the time ), or the public.”

The two other times police shot at the men occurred a short time later on the Hillsborough property.

The perpetrator pointed his gun at police who ran toward the house and again during a confrontation on the deck.

The IPCA praised the officer’s “considerable courage” in all these cases. They said that while it was a comprehensive effort involving multiple stakeholders, one officer took a lead role in responding to the threat.

Auckland City District Commander Acting Chief Inspector Sunny Patel called it a “dangerous” incident that was unfolding across the city.

“The officer involved had only seconds to decide their actions, and fortunately no one else was injured or killed that day.”

“Our staff is reminded of our policies regarding fleeing vehicles and pursuits involving firearms, and the risk posed by discharging a firearm.”

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