Police admit shooting teenager

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Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:00a.m.

Auckland Assistant Commissioner Steve Shortland at a news conference this afternoon

Auckland Assistant Commissioner Steve Shortland at a news conference this afternoon

A post-mortem examination of Halatau Naitoko, the 17-year-old killed during yesterday's Northwestern Motorway incident, has showed the father-to-be was shot by police.

Auckland Assistant Commissioner Steve Shortland says the investigation into Mr Naitoko's death has so far established that five shots were fired by police at the motorway scene yesterday.

The officers who fired shots have identified themselves to the investigation, but are yet to be formally interviewed.

It was not known if it was a clean shot or if the bullet ricocheted off something before killing Mr Naitoko.
 
Mr Naitoko, a courier driver whose partner is pregnant with twins, died on Auckland's Northwestern Motorway as an armed man in a stolen car stopped on the busy motorway and tried to commandeer another vehicle using a sawn-off .22 calibre rifle.
 
Mr Naitoko died in a flurry of shots, some fired by police and some fired by the armed man.
 
The Independent Police Conduct Authority was investigating the incident and police appointed an officer from outside Auckland, Detective Inspector Peter Devoy, to head its investigation.
 
NZPA / 3 News
 
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Comments

24 Jan 2009 06:24p.m.

Jenna wrote:

I cant imagine the police involved are "Happy with themselves" I'm sure they are absolutely devastated.

My thoughts are with Halatau family, during this time. What has happened is so tragic, by what was on the news you can tell they are a loving family, and im sure they will support each other through the next days, weeks, months, years as 3 little kids grow up without their father... Stay strong.

24 Jan 2009 06:22p.m.

David, Auckland wrote:

I wouldn't go pointing fingers and accusing people of carelessness just yet. It's possible a bullet ricocheted off something and hit the teen, we don't know for sure, so don't go blaming the cops for being reckless until the evidence is presented. The police are ALWAYS justified in using firearms when encountering armed offenders.

24 Jan 2009 05:12p.m.

Rev wrote:

So what are we suppose to say about this and what are we suppose to think about this, ,again this is a issue from the past, repeating itself again- again.......hope the person who made that crusial- choice to fire that shot is happy with themselves

First & Foremost
Condulance must go to the deceased immediate FAMILY, Relatives and Friends