Mother of man fatally shot by police in Papatoetoe says he had mental health issues, questions support received

February 27, 2021

Tangaru-Noere Turia was apparently acting erratically and brandishing a shotgun when he was killed.

It's a phone call that no mother wants to receive. Moana Taverio's eldest son Tangaru-Noere Turia died on Thursday after being shot by police in Papatoetoe, Auckland. 

"It was my sister that broke the news to me and it was so hard to cope," said Moana Taverio. 

Her son had been on a Facetime call with his oldest child just before he was shot three times by police. 

Turia was apparently acting erratically and had produced a shotgun at the time, but his mother says that's not the boy she knew. 

"He's loving and a kind person. And you know, loveable". 

From six-months-old he spent most his life across the Tasman before being sent back to New Zealand in 2017 under Australia's controversial 501 deportation policy. 

Superintendent Jill Rogers said officers attempted to engage with the 34-year-old for hours before the lethal action was taken in Papatoetoe.

Moana Taverio said her son also had mental health issues, and hadn't been receiving much support since arriving back in the country. 

"They need the love, they need the support from the community and from the family". 

In the 2019-2020 financial year, Australia has used it's policy to strip the visas of 477 Kiwis on the basis of character grounds. 

Police said there was active charges against the 34-year-old but would not elaborate while it was under investigation.

Police were called to a property on Avis Avenue at around 5.40pm on Thursday after reports a shot was fired through a neighbour's window.

After hours of negotiations, Turia was shot and killed after police say he came out of the house with a shotgun and refused to drop it when repeatedly ordered to.

He was critically injured and taken to Middlemore Hospital, where he died later that night.

His family are now making plans to bring his body back to Sydney, so he can be buried in the land he called home; Australia.  

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