Officers justified in shooting rampaging gunman
Chazz Hall was shot at by police at least 14 times before he was arrested for the brutal murder of his former partner.
Details of Hall’s armed confrontation with Hawke’s Bay police after the October 2015 killing have been revealed in an Independent Police Conduct Authority report.
Police considered Hall an ‘‘active shooter’’ as he fired at least three shots at officers during the two-hour rampage.
The IPCA found the shooting of Hall by police was justified, and that officers involved ‘‘responded swiftly and appropriately to the developing situation’’.
Hall was sentenced in March to life imprisonment and a minimum non-parole period of 151⁄2 years for the murder of nurse Victoria Foster in her Napier home, as well as charges stemming from his confrontation with police.
After killing Foster, Hall fled in his car with a shotgun.
The IPCA report said police received a 111 call from a relative of Hall’s, who told police Hall had told him he had shot Foster.
The armed offenders squad was called, and contact was made between Hall and police.
He told police during a call: ‘‘I’ve really f ..... up. I’m not going to jail, this ends tonight.’’ He also threatened to shoot police officers.
Road spikes damaged Hall’s car but did not stop him.
As Hall headed towards Clive, a settlement near Napier, police set up a roadblock. Hall drove up to the roadblock with the barrel of his shotgun in his mouth, the IPCA report said.
At that stage, the officers decided not to fire at him.
Hall then drove towards another group of officers who were in a shooting stance.
At least nine shots were fired by three officers. It is thought Hall was not hit.
Hall drove off, again stopping in Clive.
Officers then saw Hall point his shotgun out the driver’s window. They saw the barrel move back towards them.
Five shots were fired at Hall’s car. Police approached the car and found Hall lying across both seats.
He had three gunshot wounds and appeared not to be breathing.
IPCA chairman Sir David Carruthers said: ‘‘Mr Hall presented a very real risk of death or serious bodily harm to police and members of the public and needed to be urgently stopped. The officers who shot at Mr Hall were justified in doing so.’’
Acting Eastern district commander Inspector Tania Kura said: ‘‘This was a fast moving and highly dangerous situation both for our staff and the public.
‘‘I commend the armed offenders squad and other police staff involved, who responded professionally and appropriately to the situation which was presented to them that night.’’