Please attribute to Northland District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill:
Police acknowledge the findings of the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report which found two Northland Police officers were justified in pursuing a fleeing vehicle and firing a shot during an incident in Whangarei last year.
On 22nd February 2018, two officers were in a rural part of Whangarei when they noticed a vehicle driving dangerously and attempted to pull it over. The driver failed to stop at which point a pursuit was initiated. During the pursuit, the vehicle rammed the Police car three times and one of its passengers presented what appeared to be a firearm at the officers.
The officers believed they were in imminent danger of serious harm and one of them fired their pistol in self-defence.
Northland District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill says the IPCA report found the officers involved were justified in engaging a pursuit, and the officer who fired a shot was legally justified in doing so.
“This incident highlights how unpredictable policing can be, and I am thankful that no Police staff or member of our community was injured during this incident. Our officers are making split second decisions in fast moving and often very volatile situations but they still go out every day to keep our community safe and I always back them to make the right decision. In this case, there was no fault found in the decision making of the officers involved.”
ENDS
Adriana Weber/NZ Police