Police hold back on naming shot man

Police are refusing to name the man shot dead by officers in north Auckland until after his funeral.

The 29-year-old had allegedly threatened officers with a machete early on Saturday before they opened fire. He died at the scene on State Highway 1 at Pohuehue, near Warkworth.

Police claim the man’s relatives have said they don’t want his name released before he is laid to rest because it would cause them undue stress.

They had requested privacy as they mourned the loss of a much-loved family member, police said.

‘‘This is a very difficult time for the family and to release his name now would cause them undue stress and for this reason we will be waiting until after the funeral,’’ police said.

Department regulations state that a victim should be named as soon as relatives have been advised of the fatality – part of policy to avoid deaths being kept secret.

Police said they had made an exception in this case.

‘‘From time to time, we will face circumstances where there is a need to reconsider the application of internal policy against the requests of an affected family, as in this case,’’ a spokesperson said.

‘‘On this occasion, following on from the family’s request, police have agreed to release the name of the deceased after the funeral, allowing the privacy of the family. A delayed name release will still meet the expectation of transparency as the name will not be withheld, and achieves meeting the family’s wishes.’’

Officers continue to investigate the early-morning shooting.

The man’s death has been referred to the coroner.

Police will carry out two investigations into the incident: one criminal, and one focused on the department’s shooting policies and procedures.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) will also investigate.

The man is the 17th person fatally shot by police in the past decade, and the ninth in the last three years.