Commissioner says officer safety is priority

The safety of officers as they deal with violent and dangerous situations is paramount, says Police Commissioner Peter Marshall.

“The overnight incident in rural Otane, south of Hastings, in which a police officer shot and injured a man who advanced on the officer, telling him that he had a gun and threatened to kill him illustrates the violent and often unpredictable environment in which police officers work,” Commissioner Marshall said.

“Officer safety is my priority which is why I’m working to ensure there is appropriate accessibility to firearms for frontline officers in situations where they are needed,” he said. “This does not however mean a general arming of police.

“In this particular case the officers present were armed as they had been looking for the man who was known to be dangerous. Police had been seeking the man in connection with several violent incidents that had taken place this week.

“The full circumstances of what happened will be scrutinised and emerge during investigations.

“I’ve talked with both officers today to let them know their safety is important, and to ensure they have good welfare support networks around them.”

The Commissioner and Police Executive will continue to give their support to the officers.