The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that a Police officer was justified in shooting a man who fled from Police and then attempted to carjack vehicles at gunpoint in Auckland on 27 September 2023.
Police received information that a stolen car involved in an aggravated robbery the night before was parked at a petrol station in West Auckland. Officers blocked in the stolen car and approached it. However, the driver rammed other cars to escape and drove to the Northwestern Motorway. Police pursued the stolen car at slow speed, with the Police Eagle helicopter monitoring overhead.
At the top of the Lincoln Road exit, the man got out of the stolen car with a black, long barrelled firearm. He approached a line of vehicles which were stationary on the overbridge and attempted to carjack a vehicle. He pointed his firearm at one driver who managed to drive away, then used the butt of the firearm to try to smash the window of another vehicle. The man then turned and raised the firearm in the direction of the first officer who was following him on foot. The officer took cover and yelled for the man to drop his weapon. However, the man ran towards a truck, opened the passenger door, and pointed his firearm at the driver while yelling for him to get out. As the truck driver scrambled to get out of the truck, the officer fired his pistol five times through the windscreen of the truck's cab, hitting the offending man twice in the back. The man surrendered and was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery.
The Authority's independent investigation included a review of the ten-minute incident from multiple angles using traffic cameras, dash cam footage, and Eagle footage.
The Authority found that Police exercised appropriate command and control of the incident and that the pursuit was conducted in accordance with Police policy.
The Authority accepts the man posed a real and imminent threat of death, or serious injury to others and that it was imperative the officer respond with urgency when the man entered the truck cab. Given the circumstances, the officer was justified in shooting the man to defend himself and others. His use of force was reasonable and proportionate.
The Authority completed its report into this incident in May 2024 but delayed the release of its public report until after the conclusion of related court proceedings in September 2025.
Public Report
Non-fatal shooting in Auckland justified (PDF 380 KB)
