Depressed shooter in chronic pain

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

Donald Melville Ineson, 56, died on November 25 when police were called to his Darfield 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.

Speaking for the first time since his death, Joanne Ineson told Stuff 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 faced a long road to recovery.

‘‘He was in constant pain even while sleeping,’’ she said.

‘‘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 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 with a gunshot wound.

Preliminary findings from the autopsy indicated a 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.’’