Why the bloody hell are the cops shooting at cars in high speed chases?
Why the bloody hell are the cops shooting at cars in high speed chases?
Knifes, spades and gunshot: Man arrested in Morrinsville following early morning pursuit
A middle-aged man was arrested in eastern Waikato early today after threatening police and having his vehicle shot at by officers.
Police were called to an address around 1am where the man had been drinking for hours, before threatening to get into his car and drive away.
After officers arrived on the scene, the 55-year-old man threatened them with a knife and a spade before ramming a police car with his vehicle.
The man then drove off towards Morrinsville township, sparking a pursuit, Acting Waikato District Commander Inspector Andrew Mortimore said.
“The Police Eagle helicopter was called to assist in locating the man, before the vehicle was seen at the Z station in Morrinsville, where the man rammed another police car.
“On Tahuna Rd, the man rammed a police dog vehicle at speed. An officer fired one shot towards the vehicle, hitting the tyre, before the man left the area.
“With the assistance of the Eagle helicopter, the man was tracked to Top Rd in Tahuna, where he was arrested without further incident around 3:20am.”
On Tahuna Rd, the man rammed a police dog vehicle at high speed.
An officer was forced to shoot at the man’s car and hit a tyre before the man left the area, Mortimore said.
…Public policy demands safety first, shooting at cars in high speed chases could be the literal antithesis of safety first!
How on earth did a drunk driving incident lead to this kind of escalation?
The Policing philosophy that NZ endorses is a containment one, not an escalation. You get the feeling this Officer has watched way too many films. This has the smell of ‘respect my authority’ to it rather than intelligent Policing.
While I’m mentioning Police, how damaging is this kind of crap for community relationships?
Wairarapa schoolboy arrested twice, on school grounds, in case of mistaken identity
A Makoura College student had just finished playing basketball at lunchtime when he was surrounded by half a dozen police officers and arrested twice for a crime he did not commit. Emma Brown reports.
It was just after midday on Friday, October 25, when the 16-year-old left his Masterton school gym where he had been playing basketball with friends.
Several police officers approached him, yelling, “Get on the f***ing ground – you’re under arrest”, the student told his mum.
He said they then grabbed him by his shirt, pushed him against a school fence, and handcuffed him.
…don’t get me wrong, being a Police Officer is a hard job, no question, but these actions come across as ill judged decisions in the heat of the moment, and that demands reflection.
Shooting to wound or disable isn’t a thing. Shooting is deadly force every time. Cops are trained that pulling the trigger is intent to kill.
That said, I think it should be mandatory for an officer to do some therapy after every shooting incident. Even minor incidents can mess with your head. I want to make sure they’re okay to continue working after this, and concern for their mental health. Even if it was just a car we can’t have cops firing weapons with absolutely no oversight. So this isn’t some sort of punishment or anything, rather, I’m concerned about their mental health. We should all be aware that power is an alluring vice.
Martyn,
Are they giving cops drugs or something????
This is u-believable stuff, as these ‘gun toting’ trigger happy cops are acting out of character or perhaps on speed or some drug????
The man was driving stark naked. I’m sure that the cops kept their eyes closed. As the sister of many bros and a wife and a daughter – that goes without saying – I can honestly say that I have never found the sight of naked men anatomically attractive – they’re untidily assembled. I guess that I must be in some category the name of which I do not yet know.
Two cases that make me groan. The first one was an escalation by the police. Alcohol and drugs are rife in NZ – don’t the police have training in how to de-escalate the problem.
Police were called to an address around 1am where the man had been drinking for hours, before threatening to get into his car and drive away.
After officers arrived on the scene, the 55-year-old man threatened them with a knife and a spade before ramming a police car with his vehicle.
Taking the distributor cap from the vehicle would have stopped the driving. Getting him to a police cell would have been the ideal. Offering him a beer if he came to the police station would have been a better option, and calling up a police van so he could get in the back on his own would have been best to contain him. A drunk mad-man in the police car would not be a good move. Chasing cars only makes perps go faster. The police are inadequate to cope with their job as they act presently. They are modelling to the perp the very behaviour they say is wrong, ie speeding and driving dangerously to others safety.
As for a gang of police ‘busting’ a possible even probable perp at school playing basketball and then treating him as if he was a highly vicious hardened criminal isn’t on. It is like something off the USA news or some D-grade movie or game. Are we sure that the report we have got hadn’t been coloured up by the young guy. It would be wise to be sure of the truthful details before hitting the roof. This doesn’t sound like NZ police, but after Tuhoe who knows where they learn their policing routines?
So? – Several police officers approached him, yelling, “Get on the f***ing ground – you’re under arrest”, the student told his mum. He said they then grabbed him by his shirt, pushed him against a school fence, and handcuffed him.
This is why I don’t like armed Police and why the whole para-military armed Policing thing being proposed by our “loving kind” govt makes me cringe.
I can see someone getting killed sooner or later.
And may not be who you’d think.
Policing in this country is lurching into the “Wild West” where
anything can happen.