The Coroner's report into the death of 17 year old courier driver at the hands of a Police Armed Offenders Squad Member was released yesterday by Coroner Gordon Matenga. Matenga ruled that the killing was accidental but however drew attention to the fractured leadership control of the operation, the failure of 2 officers to establish a clear line of fire before shooting and what could probably be called inherent failure in systems of restraint, calmness and cool thinking by AOS members. Anybody watching footage of the aftermath would have seen many members of the police on the motorway that day speaking on phones at the same time - a clear indication that there was not one system of control, and that several different policing groups were being controlled independently of one another. That is a notable logistic failure.
A consequence of that failure is that it likely led to a competitiveness of sorts and stress between the conflicting groups of police and their controllers. There is no place in dangerous situations for multiple control and one would assume that priority of command directives were standing orders, but apparently we see here they are not. There should have been no competition or uncertainty that from the moment AOS were involved they were in control and all other policing units were in support, immediately that would have defused misconceptions of what role all police involved were to play. Instead it seems it was an 'all go' situation attended by the inevitable disorganisation that goes with people unaware of where the lines are drawn.
Many police commentators have spoken about the obvious difficulties of dealing with a mobile offender, agreed, and more the reason that those in control should have recognised those difficulties as this tragedy unfolded and made clear orders that the AOS led the situation and other policing units were in a supporting and containing role. What is most disconcerting is that the basics of 'clear lines of fire' were not appreciated by members of the AOS, in fact one had 'no recollection' of firing the fatal shot.
Assistant Commissioner Allan Boreham issued a statement that police 'deeply and sincerely regret' the accidental shooting and that 'it was right for that police power to use firearms be publicly scrutinised.' Fairly hard to disagree with the good sense of those comments, or with the findings of Coroner Matenga. Of course Police Association president Greg O'Conner was at odds with that, as he seems to be with rank and file police in these changing times. But the Ministers comments were the most odd of all, she claimed that the blame laid with the escaping offender and no doubt she doesn't have the courage or comprehension to follow what Boreham and Matenga in particular have said. The Minister wants the public to believe that a poorly organised pursuit under multiple, un synchronised control, which included personnel that were bereft of basic firearm safety usage, did not lead to the death of Halatau, that his death was solely the result of an armed, drugged up offender and unfortunate members of the public taken by surprise going about their lawful business finding them self in 'the line of fire' not sacrosanct to all members of AOS.
The Naitoko family have already filed a civil claim for damages and the Coroner's report strengthens that. Allan Boreham has made the frank acknowledgement of what the public expectation is when police use firearms, Gordon Matenga has reproduced the footprints, disordered by lack of control, that were part of this tragedy. Minister Judith Collins has shown she can duck walk. I hope the Naitoko family can settle quickly with the Government over this, there is every legitimate reason why they should despite the Minister being so out of touch that she cannot appreciate that poor organisation and practices by the police in some very difficult situations are not simply the fault of an offender.
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