Car-chase gunman ex-army

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Man killed in shootout with police, posed for pictures in camo gear and considered guns ‘cool’. A former soldier killed after opening fire on police on an Auckland motorway was dismissed from the army for threatening to kill a superior.

The death of Caleb Dean Henry, 20, of Opotiki, came after a violent home invasion near Opotiki and a seven-hour, 350-kilometre chase to Auckland during which he used a stolen hunting rifle to fire at police three times from a stolen ute. He was wounded during an exchange of fire with armed offenders squad officers yesterday morning and died despite first-aid efforts by police for about 25 minutes.

Alan and Ann Looney, the couple who suffered stab wounds to their hands during the home invasion on their Waiotahi farm on Sunday evening, were in a stable condition in Whakatane Hospital last night.

Henry was in the army from March 2010 to July 2012. He saw no action other than guard duty at the Christchurch earthquake cordons.

‘‘The NZ Defence Force can confirm Mr Henry was a member of the NZ Army from March 2010 until his discharge for disciplinary reasons on July 18, 2012,’’ a spokesman said.

A source, who did not want to be named, said Henry was dismissed because he threatened to kill a superior.

The Defence Force would not comment further.

Henry appeared on several social network sites posing with guns and lauding their use.

In March, he posted on Facebook that he was selling some of his old military armour, before posting that it was a hoax aimed at drawing out the ‘‘intel geeks in Wellington’’.

‘‘Guns are cool,’’ he wrote. ‘‘Guns are mean. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.’’

He also wrote that people needed to take care when around firearms.

The drama began about 7.30pm on Sunday when the Looneys, long-time Waiotahi farmers, were attacked in their home by a man believed to be Henry.

Mr Looney, 66, had gone out for firewood and returned to find his wife, 63, tied up. He was then attacked himself.

Their ute and a rifle were taken. Discharged: Caleb Dean Henry was kicked out of the army last year after threatening to kill one of his superiors.

Three hours later, the ute was spotted on the Kaimai road.

Henry later fired shots at pursuing police officers in Hamilton, on the motorway in South Auckland and around the Victoria Park tunnel in central Auckland.

Hamilton police were yesterday searching the intersection of Te Rapa Rd and Vardon Rd looking for evidence from the 12.35am incident.

Investigators yesterday asked residents to come forward if they heard anything at the time of the shooting, or had found spent cartridges in the area.

Police Assistant Commissioner Allan Boreham said that Henry was finally stopped with road spikes on the Auckland motorway.

Four police vehicles – three of them carrying armed offenders squad officers and one a dog handler – were at the ‘‘Guns are cool. Guns are mean. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.’’ Caleb Dean Henry shot after seven-hour chase scene where the shots were exchanged, Mr Boreham said.

Henry had been able to fire at police from the ute.

‘‘Obviously they have had to defend themselves and bring the situation to an end,’’ Mr Boreham said.

He was unable to say how many shots were fired and what weapon fired the fatal bullet.

‘‘While there are a number of active investigations still ongoing, our initial inquiries indicate that the police staff involved displayed considerable skill and judgment in resolving this incident without anyone else getting hurt.’’

Police were saddened that the incident had ended in tragedy, he said.

Henry was provided medical support until an ambulance arrived. No officers were hurt. Henry is the second person to die in an armed offenders squad incident on an Auckland motorway. In 2009, Auckland courier Halatau Naitoko was killed in crossfire as police pursued gunman Stephen McDonald.

The latest shootout left Auckland’s ‘‘Our initial inquiries indicate that the police staff involved displayed considerable skill and judgment in resolving this incident without anyone else getting hurt.’’ northern motorway system in chaos with police investigators sealing off the area of the shooting near Constellation Drive all day.

Henry’s death is now the subject of three separate police investigations – an Independent Police Conduct Authority review, a homicide probe and a police review.

Police will also investigate a recent burglary of the Looneys’ farm to see if there is any connection with the home invasion. Showdown: The scene on Auckland’s Northern Motorway where police and Caleb Dean Henry exchanged gunfire before his death. Photo: Fairfax NZ