4 Police Officers Shot in New Zealand

A story I started following last night has evolved into a standoff between LE and the armed offender responsible for injuring 4 officers and taking potshots at a low flying LE plane. Initial shots were fired during a drug operation Tuesday involving LE near Kawerau, and resulted in the suspect holing up in a nearby house. Of the 4 shot, only one is in serious condition.

Gunman in New Zealand texting family, friends from house as Bay of Plenty standoff continues - Stuff NZ

Currently, family members are pleading with police to get the suspect from the house he has barricaded himself in, and even offered to bring him out with their help:

"Just let us go in and get him," the family of suspected shooter says, as the sun rises on an armed Bay of Plenty stand-off that has lasted through the night

POLICE WON'T LET FAMILY GO TO HOUSE Police Commissioner Mike Bush told Paul Henry police couldn't let the family go in to the house for fear of their safety. "We've got really professional people in place to manage all of this for us. There's no way we would compromise anyone's safety ... there's no way we would send anyone else into that environment.

www.stuff.co.nz...

What was surprising to me was the outlook by LE officials on the topic of armed criminals. Police Assn. President Greg O'Connor says "Police are dealing with an increasing number of armed offenders". O'Connor's comments were validated by Police Minister Collins:

Police Minister Judith Collins said O'Connor's comment was probably fair given the nature of some of the people who had firearms in their possession. "There are firearms around in the hands of criminals..they are in the hands of people who should not have them."

www.stuff.co.nz...

The full picture will become clearer as details emerge from this ongoing situation.
www.stuff.co.nz...
www.stuff.co.nz...

The country had different firearm laws than Australia does it?
Whats the scoop on possession of guns in NZ?
Are citizens still armed?
Or is this an illegal weapon the guy is using?

www.loc.gov...


Ah...about 1.1 million guns in private hands......

Here are the laws for New Zealand gun control laws.

New Zealand Gun laws

a reply to: ObjectZero
I wonder of this is going to be revisited because of the incident that's ongoing.....well have to wait and see what the perp has armed himself with....

In March 2009 the New Zealand police bid to reclassify certain types of civilian semi-automatic firearms was overturned by the New Zealand High Court as a result of a legal challenge mounted by the New Zealand National Shooters Association (NSA) president Richard Lincoln

Reply to Bandersnatch:
As stated in my original post, I was somewhat surprised in the LE take on the criminal element of an armed population. I would like to see stats if the situation is truly escalating as the Police Assn. head describes, and what TPTB intend to do to address the problem.

Well, if it was my son I would not ask police for permission, I'd go in and get him out. And record everything so he doesn't get set up.

originally posted by: bandersnatch
The country had different firearm laws than Australia does it?

Firearm laws in NZ are far more lax, since the 96 Port Authur massacre in Australia, which resulted in Australia tightening up there gun regulations... as any logically grounded country would do after such a senseless tragedy.

Are citizens still armed?

This question makes no sense to me.

Citizens in both Australia and New Zealand are legally able to obtain a firearm, as long as they have not been charged with a crime within the last 5 years and comply with commonsense regulations... Its obviously not like the US, where people have convinced themselves that giving crimminal's easy access to guns somehow makes society safer.

But if your prepared to prove your a upstanding law abiding citizen, in both Australia or NZ and you want a gun, then you can easily obtain one.

The siege is over. Gunman arrested and in custody.

And that is how we do it down under.

Every one lives! Well, most of the time.

P