New Zealand's police watchdog has found officers were justified in shooting a Taranaki man five times last May.
The man was hit twice in the back, once in the right hand, once in the right thigh and once in the chest after he pointed a gun at one of the officers in Waitara, authorities said.
He had earlier pointed the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger, but it did not fire, according to a report released today by the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
The watchdog detailed how the fatal shooting unfolded in a secluded area on May 19, 2020, at the Waitara River.
The man — referred to as Mr X in the report but identified by police at the time of the shooting as Allan Neville Rowe, 54 — had earlier stolen a work vehicle after expressing to his partner an intention to hurt himself, authorities said.
His colleagues, who had seen him earlier that day, thought he was having a mental breakdown, the IPCA noted.
Four officers were involved in the incident on May 19.
When police found the truck, it was still running and a black plastic pipe could be seen running from the exhaust into the driver's cabin.
Concerned for Rowe's wellbeing, one of the four officers yelled "armed police" as they approached the truck.
Shortly after being asked to show his hands and put down a gun, which he picked up, Rowe tried to shoot himself, the report states.
According to one of the officers, he "had a seriously deranged, angry look on his face then turned his weapon and aimed it at [Officer B]".
It was then officers fired several shots at Rowe, after he repeatedly refused to put the gun down, they said.
CPR was then carried out, both before and after St John Ambulance was called to the scene.
It was stopped after about 40 minutes.
Judge Colin Doherty, chairman of the IPCA, said events unfolded quickly after Rowe produced a gun.
"This was a high-stress situation and the officers knew that they would probably be confronting somebody armed with a weapon, and who may have been mentally unwell and therefore unpredictable," he said.
Doherty concluded the officers were justified in arming themselves, dealt with Rowe appropriately, were justified in shooting him and provided appropriate care after he had been shot.
Taranaki Area Commander Belinda Dewar said police acknowledged the IPCA's decision.
"This was a challenging and high-stress situation and the death of this man was an outcome no one wanted."
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