While the police from their head down have been fulsome in showing respect to the family of Halatau Naitoko, they've been less forthcoming about details and proceedures that led to the death of an innocent teenager. That hasn't stopped the theorists on the net, across the smoko room, and amongst those with experience in armed response, however. As well, experts we've spoken to over the last few days point to three possible ways the tragedy could have unfolded:
One - Halatau was killed by a police bullet which ricocheted off one of the vehicles.
Two - Police completely missed their real target and Halatau was killed by a stray bullet.
Or, Three - Worrying suggestions police mistakenly identified Halatau as their offender and deliberately shot him.
What all these theories point to is not laying the blame on the officers called out to do their job, but whether the training and the equipment they were given was appropriate. Berny Maubach has been there. He's the former head of the German Anti-Terrorism Squad, and a firearms expert who was called on to give evidence in the Steven Wallace trial. He joins Close Up from Whanganui.
http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/armed-offenders-squad-under-fire-2455363