Police justified in shooting man

Police were justified in shooting a Tauranga man who held his two daughters hostage for 15 hours, the Independent Police Conduct Authority says.

On November 24, 2019, police were called to the Bellevue house by the man’s partner, who had managed to escape. There police found Ethan Kerapa, also known as Orynn, barricaded in the wardrobe of an upstairs bedroom and holding a knife to one of his children.

He swiped the knife at the police, and they were unable to negotiate with him and made the decision to withdraw.

The Armed Offenders Squad, Special Tactics Group and police negotiators all attended and negotiators were unable to persuade him to come out, or allow his daughters, aged six and four, out.

It was an extremely hot day in Tauranga, and by early afternoon police received medical advice about the potentially deadly effects of the heat on the children, who were in an upstairs room with no ventilation. As far as police knew, the children had not had any food or water since the incident began, even though they had left bottles of water outside the bedroom door.

Kerapa twice requested police pass food and drink up to the bedroom using a rope out the window but these requests were refused.

Concern about the health of the children in the heat, combined with the Kerapa’s history of violence and mental health issues, led the team to order a forced entry into the bedroom via the upstairs window.

When the officers entered the bedroom, they saw Kerapa with his arm wrapped tightly around one of the children, holding a large knife against her chest. One officer tried to taser him, but it had no effect.

Another officer, fearing

Kerapa was about to kill the child, fired a single round from his pistol, killing him.

The IPCA found the command and control of the incident was in general well executed, although designating a family liaison officer would have benefited both police and the man’s family.

‘‘There were many commendable aspects of this operation and it is clear to us that all officers at the scene were focused on the welfare of the children throughout the incident.