Yesterday morning in Massey, Auckland a police officer was shot and killed and another was shot and wounded after what was described as a routine traffic stop.
A member of the public was also wounded when hit by a car.
Last night a man was arrsted and charged with murder.
From Police news: Person charged with murder following shooting of Police officers
Police investigating the fatal shooting of a Police officer in Massey have charged a man with Murder.
A 24-year-old man has been arrested and charged with multiple serious offences including Murder, Attempted Murder and Dangerous Driving Causing Injury.
He will be appearing in the Waitakere District Court tomorrow.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing and Police are not able to rule out the possibility of further persons being charged.
Our thoughts are with the family of the slain Police officer and we are continuing to ensure they are provided with all possible support.
The other injured Police officer and member of public remain in hospital in a serious but stable condition and we are also supporting them and their families.
Police will not be in a position to confirm the identity of the Police officer until tomorrow at the earliest.
Earlier – Commissioner’s statement following Massey incident
It is with a heavy heart that I confirm that one of our colleagues injured in the incident in Massey, West Auckland, today has died.
This is devastating news and absolutely the worst thing for us to deal with. We have lost a colleague and friend in our Police whānau.
Our thoughts are with the officer’s family and loved ones, and with the other officer and member of the public who were injured in the same incident and their loved ones.
From the information we have this was a routine traffic stop and is the type of work our officers do every day to keep the public safe. At this stage there is nothing to indicate that the job was going to be anything out of the ordinary.
At around 10.30am, a police unit has performed a routine traffic stop on Reynella Drive.
The attending officers were shot and a member of the public has also been hit by the vehicle.
The second officer and the member of the public are in hospital where they are being treated for their injuries. The member of the public has minor injuries and the officer has serious injuries.
The alleged offender has fled the scene and enquiries are ongoing to locate them.
While efforts to locate the offender are ongoing staff in Tāmaki Makaurau will be armed.
Our priority is to support our officers and to locate this alleged offender as soon as possible.
This incident points to the real risks our officers face on the streets, doing their jobs, every day.
Staff safety and welfare are our absolute priority and our whole organisation is in a state of shock after these horrific events.
It is bad and sad news when police officers are attacked and shot and killed in the line of duty.
This has already brought up the debate again about the arming of police. This incident will be investigated, but it’s hard to see how police could be prepared for a routine traffic stop on a Friday mid-morning turning so violent.
More on ‘routine traffic stop’:
At 10.28am on Friday morning, two officers responded to an alert involving a vehicle of interest in Massey. It is unclear what the alert was, or why it was a vehicle of interest.
Putting on their lights and sirens, the two officers attempted to pull the car over, but soon lost sight of it.
The car, fleeing police, hit and injured a member of the public before coming to a crashing halt on Reynella Drive about 10.30am.
A man got out of the car, armed with a long-barrelled firearm and fired multiple shots at the officers – striking them both. The officers were unarmed.
It’s understood the officer who died was shot in the abdomen. The second officer was shot in the leg and taken to Auckland City Hospital in a serious condition, where he is now in a stable condition.
After opening fire, the shooter got into another vehicle and fled the scene with a second person.
The Armed Offenders Squad was called in, cordoning off the suburban streets, and a manhunt was instigated.
Stuff: Officer killed identified by police
Police have released the name of the officer killed on duty on Friday.
He was Constable Matthew Dennis Hunt, aged 28 of Auckland.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said in a statement Hunt’s family gave their blessing to release his name.
Hunt, who grew up on the Hibiscus Coast, joined the New Zealand Police in October 2017 as a member of Wing 312. His family said it was his “lifelong dream” to become a police officer.
Hunt was the 33rd to have been killed in New Zealand in the line of duty since 1890, and the first since 2009.