A police officer was justified and showed "clear thinking and professionalism" in shooting in the arm a man who went on a bloody rampage across Christchurch, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) has ruled.
Zakariye Mohamed Hussein, 27, was shot twice by the officer, identified as Officer A, in March following a series of attacks in which he stabbed two people.
Hussein had broken into Redwood Primary School and threatened staff with a knife, before kidnapping a woman driving a food delivery truck near the school.
He forced her to drive across the city, and stabbed her in the shoulder, before kidnapping another motorist who came to her aid, holding a knife to the man's throat and forcing him to drive.
The man, council worker Michael Thomson, deliberately crashed his car into a wall and, as he tried to escape, Hussein stabbed him six times.
A third motorist, Jade Lynn, confronted Hussein with a crowbar, and was threatened with knives.
Officer A tried to pepper spray Hussein before returning to his car to get a Glock pistol, while two other officers' attempts to pepper spray and use a Taser on Hussein were ineffective.
Hussein ran at Officer A, who backed away and fired two shots from about two metres away, the IPCA report says.
Hussein immediately fell to the ground, but was not fatally injured.
IPCA chairman, Judge Sir David Carruthers, said police complied with the law and used other options before resorting to shooting Hussein.
"The immediate actions of several officers in response to the threat posed by Mr Hussein demonstrated clear thinking and professionalism in a rapidly unfolding critical incident," he said.
Officer A was not wearing a bullet-proof vest at the time, and police are currently clarifying their policy on wearing the armour when drawing a firearm, the IPCA said.
The authority repeated a recommendation for compulsory drug and alcohol testing for police involved in critical incidents, although there was no reason to believe officers were under the influence in this case.
Hussein was last month sentenced to six-and-a-half years' jail after earlier admitting kidnapping, assault and weapons charges.
Hussein now has no use of the arm where he was shot by the police, his lawyer Allister Davis says.
NZN