Shooter was in agony

Depression caused by chronic back pain may have sparked a Darfield shooting rampage that ended with a man, who threatened his family with a loaded gun, being killed by police.

Donald Melville Ineson, 56, died on November 25 when police were called to his rural Canterbury home after reports he had fired at the house ‘‘multiple times’’ with his wife and children inside, breaking the door’s window in a bid to get in. Police later shot Ineson in his car after he ran down an officer while fleeing the scene.

Speaking for the first time since his death, Joanne Ineson told her husband had ‘‘chronic’’ pain in his back for more than 12 months. An operation to ease the pain had not progressed as hoped and the farmhand and former South Canterbury rugby representative player faced a long road to recovery.

‘‘He was in constant pain even while sleeping and nothing eased it. It started getting him down and sad. He was a hard worker and hated being confined and not being active or able to provide for us.’’

On the day of his death Donald Ineson got his gun out and threatened her, she said.

‘‘I truly believed he would go through with it, I was terrified.’’

Emergency services were notified, with two police officers walking on the road near the property assessing the situation when Ineson drove out of the Darfield property at speed and towards both officers.

One of the officers was struck by the car and thrown into the air before landing on the ground.

Ineson began driving away as police fired shots at his car, before he U-turned and again drove towards the two officers. The car then rolled to a stop. A short while later police found him dead in the driver’s seat with a gunshot wound.

Preliminary findings from the

post mortem indicated that a small fragment from a bullet fired by one of the officers struck Ineson in the back.

Joanne Ineson said the rampage was ‘‘totally out of character for him’’. The couple were not separated at the time of the incident, she said.

‘‘I still can’t believe this happened to us. When I told our daughter he had hurt the policeman she replied, ‘that’s not the dad I know’. ‘‘This has been a sad and devastating tragedy for us, which unfortunately can never be undone.’’

Canterbury District Commander Superintendent John Price said it would be several months before the injured officer could return to light duties. The other officer would return to work soon.

There was a ‘‘reintegration programme’’ for staff dealing with the stress of ‘‘critical incident shootings’’, he said.

‘‘That’s not the dad I know.’’ Donald Ineson’s daughter

Police were working towards establishing the detailed sequence of events, Price said.

Both of the officers had access to police-issue Bushmaster rifles and glock pistols. One had armed offenders squad experience.

Price said earlier he was proud of the actions of the two officers, who found themselves in a ‘‘dynamic and extremely fast moving, critical’’ situation.

Provisions in the Crimes Act allowed police to use force to prevent offenders from fleeing to avoid arrest when there are no less violent means available.

Price said it had been an ‘‘extremely traumatic event’’ for Ineson’s family and for the officers involved.