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An armed officer remembers seeing the light of a telescopic sight when a man armed with a rifle turned to him.
“I could see, and will remember this until the day I die, the sight of his rifle, reflected in the light,” the officer later told authorities.
The officer’s shooting of Graeme Sydney Warren, 66, in Kurow on December 5, 2019, was legally justified, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) found.
The IPCA report, released Tuesday, says the officer acted to defend himself and a colleague.
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The man, named only as Officer B, had his Bushmaster rifle pointed at Warren, who he believed was threatening his colleague (Officer C) after they had been called to Kurow from a nearby town.
A change of tone between Warren, who was known as Squid, and Officer C made the experienced Officer B believe that his colleague was begging for his life.
When Officer B called “Stop, Squid” and saw Warren’s pistol held at hip height, Officer C “raised my rifle, had [him] in my sights, I removed the safety and pulled the trigger in one motion. “
John Bisset / Stuff
The scene of the police shooting on Freyberg Ave in Kurow in 2019.
Officers on the scene, including Officer A, who was the only one of the three officers who was not a witness to the incident, provided medical assistance.
The shooting occurred at 11:52 p.m. and Warren was unconscious when he arrived at Dunedin Hospital by helicopter. He died in the hospital at 2.27 am.
Warren’s son had previously called the police and said that his father, who was turning 66 the next day, was threatening suicide and could not find him.
The only officer in charge at Kurow, Officer A, had a day off on the roster, so Officer B was dispatched from a nearby town.
Officer A checked his phone while out to dinner and saw that he had two missed calls from Warren’s son.
John Bisset / Stuff
The scene of the fatal police shooting on Freyberg Ave, Kurow. The IPCA has ruled that the officer’s action in shooting Warren was justified.
Officer A called Warren and spoke to him for six minutes.
“He sounded very depressed and I immediately became concerned for his safety,” the officer said.
He found Warren in a depressed state at his home on Freyberg Ave, and was initially able to communicate with him.
The situation escalated when officers saw Warren carrying a rifle inside his home, the IPCA report says.
They requested the armed criminal squad and a police negotiating team to attend, then cordoned off the property and waited for them to arrive.
Warren came out brandishing the rifle a short time later.
John Bisset / Stuff
Resident Kate White says the entire city was shocked after the 2019 shooting.
The IPCA found that officers correctly identified the increasing risks, worked together to cordon off and contain the scene, and requested help when the level of risk increased.
IPCA President Judge Colin Doherty said officials “responded well” given the nature of the incident.
“They took a duly cautious approach given Mr. Warren’s state of mind and the risks of having a firearm,” he said.
“They did everything they could to stop Mr. Warren from taking his own life and then when they shot him they tried to save him.”
The shooting devastated the small township of North Otago.
Kurow resident Kate White described Warren as “a popular and respected member of the community and an exceptional fisherman and guide who had guided many clients around the world.”
“Our thoughts are also with our two local police officers.”
George heard / things
Southern District Police Commander, Superintendent Paul Basham.
Police acknowledged the IPCA findings.
“Officers responding to this matter made significant and continuous attempts to contact Mr. Warren, urging him to surrender to the police and not harm himself,” Southern District Commander Superintendent Paul Basham said in a statement. .
Warren’s death was a “tragic outcome” for both his family and the wider Kurow community, Basham said.
“However, it is clear that the officers involved did absolutely everything they could to prevent Mr. Warren from injuring himself and to provide medical assistance after he was injured.
“I congratulate everyone involved for the way they responded during this incident.”
