The police officer who fatally shot father-of-three Tom Phillips was a member of the Armed Offenders Squad and part of a Tactical Dog Team (TDT), a specialist unit introduced nationally two years ago to tackle rising gun crime.
The team allegedly arrived moments after a local constable was shot in the head and shoulder, narrowly surviving due to his car’s windscreen.
Former police crisis negotiator Lance Burdett told legacy media (paywalled) the officer would have relied on intensive training to make split-second decisions, particularly with Phillips’ 12-year-old daughter present at the scene.
Police have confirmed the officer will receive leave and psychological support, while a critical incident review, IPCA investigation, and a wider government inquiry into the Phillips case are now underway.
Fancy that. Case closed then.
Rural town burglary… send a bunch of AOS from Auckland.
“sort it lads”….
This is sounding less like rural cops responding to a burg, and more like special placement hit squad to hunt, capture or kill.
Did the officer who got injured fire the first shot?
Who cares. We need a proper independent police oversight commission or similar in this country.
Agreed. There is a certain lack of public trust in the NZ Police. Maybe got worse c.2020, not sure what that correlates too.