Hero officers switch from training to real thing

The police officers who apprehended the gunman allegedly responsible for slaying at least 50 people at two Christchurch mosques were at a training session dealing with armed offenders when the situation unfolded.

The Herald has exclusive details about how the officers, after hearing there was an active shooter, took to the streets to find him — and stop him.

The officers, who the Herald has agreed not to name, are both based in smaller towns out of Christchurch.

Their boss, rural response manager Senior Sergeant Pete Stills, said the pair had travelled into Christchurch to attend a training session at Princess Margaret Hospital in Cashmere.

The training was held on a disused floor of the hospital and was around room clearance and dealing with armed offenders.

“They were actually training when the call came through that there was an active armed offender in Christchurch,” Stills told the Herald.

“They had their work vehicles there with them with firearms in them.

“They operationalised themselves and got into one car, they decided to skirt the city, they thought that’s what the offender would do — rather than drive through the CBD.

“They were driving on Brougham St because they thought if he’d just been to Linwood [the second mosque attacked] that’s a route he might take.”

Moments later they spotted a suspicious car.

“They saw someone fitting the description of the offender coming towards them,” Stills said.

“The car was weaving in and out of lanes with its hazard lights on.

“They confirmed the rego, that it was the right car, and did a U-turn.”

Stills said the officers have more than 40 years of policing between them and had the experience to handle the situation.

“They were trying to catch up with him, they were discussing tactics — did they want to pursue him?”

Stills said the officers weighed up a pursuit, where the gunman could have got away and “unleashed” on more innocent members of the public.

They also had to consider whether pursuing him would cause a crash that could involve innocent road users.

“They decided to bring it to an end as quickly as possible and they decided to immobilise the car by ramming it,” Stills said.

They rammed the gunman’s car on the driver’s side and footage supplied to the Herald shows the officers dragging him out on the passenger side.

Stills said one officer saw “highrisk” items in the back of the car and ran back round to the police car to radio the information in and tell his colleagues to stay back. While doing that he lost sight of the gunman and was worried for his colleague so he abandoned the plan and went back to the passenger side.

“He yelled at members of the public to get back,” said Stills. “The car posed a danger.”

Once the gunman was contained, both officers used the radio to alert other police to the situation.

Stills has heard those communications — as has Police Commission Mike Bush.

Bush said the gunman did not give himself up and was “non-compliant”.

Stills said his officers remained composed throughout.

“They wouldn’t have been scared, we practise for this stuff — to be honest, it was lucky two officers with that amount of service and experience were there.

“One of the officers phoned me straight after to advise me that they’d damaged a car.”

Stills said it was the second car from his patch damaged in a week and he’d previously told staff not to wreck any others, as they were already short. He wasn’t worried when he heard what his staff had accomplished.

He commended them for their work and hoped one day they could tell their stories in their own words. “It was a good catch,” he said. “You could police for 100 years and not get an apprehension anywhere near that good. They did a good job.”

Footage of the arrest has been widely shared on social media and the officers have been hailed as heroes by many, including Police Commissioner Mike Bush.

Bush said without their brave actions it was likely more people would have been killed.