10 June 2016

Association supports officers involved in Paeroa shooting

“The Police Association is fully supporting the officers involved in today’s fatal shooting in Paeroa after a man attacked police with a machete,” Police Association President Greg O’Connor said today.

“This is the situation every police officer dreads. It’s a possibility police face every time they go on shift. Every officer goes to work hoping they will not be placed in a position where they are forced to use lethal force. However, if that situation arises, they deserve the support of the public they are sworn to protect,” Mr O’Connor said.

“Inevitably, armchair critics will speculate and make judgments about what ‘could’ or ‘should’ have been done. But the officers involved were the people who were there facing the situation, who had the training, and who were faced with the responsibility of actually making a decision," said Mr O’Connor.

“The Police Association is supporting the officers and providing all the assistance we can."

“As with all such incidents, this shooting will now be the subject of extensive investigation by Police, the IPCA, and the coroner. Those investigations will take time. But until they are complete, no one should criticise the judgment call that the officers involved were forced to make,” Mr O’Connor said.

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