Mark Mitchell: Police Minister on the planned investigations into Christchurch shooting incident

The Police Minister says he'd never second-guess an officer's actions during a police incident. 

Multiple investigations are taking place after an officer shot two people after a domestic dispute.

An officer shot a man carrying a hunting knife, with fears he'd seriously injure a woman.

The officer then shot the woman dead, when she threatened officers.  

Mark Mitchell says he feels for the officer. 

"My thoughts go out to those police officers and their families, they have my full support. It is a police officer's worst nightmare to be placed into a situation like that."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Heller Duper s L police have shot two people, killing
one of them. The incident happened in christ Church last night.
Both of them threatened officers with a knife. Mark Mitchell
is the policeman has down with us now how much.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
After sorry evening?

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Indeed the track of time already past five almost mate,
So you can get away with both now. Could the
cops have used tases here instead of weapons?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
I'm not going to second guess.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
I never do, never would, and my advice would be
for people not to ever seecond guess what police officers
are doing when they're dealing with an incident. All of
that will come out in good time, because of course
it sparks an incident like that, sparks an I p
C a investigation, and that will be fully reported on.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
But you know, my.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
Thoughts go out to those police officers and their families.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
They had my full support.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
It is a police officer's worst nightmare to be placed
in a situation like that, and remember that they were
responding to a violent incident and the only thing in
the forefront of their mind and is making sure they
get there to try and resolve it and keep people safe.
But they're obviously confronted with a situation where, like I said,
it's the worst case scenary for a police officer having

(01:11):
to make those types of decisions.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
What do you reckon this does to the debate over
whether police should be armed.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
That is entirely a question for the commissioner.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
I know he's that is something that he's been asked
and also body cameras.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
All I'd say is that I'll fully support him.

Speaker 3 (01:26):
We've got an outstanding police commissioner that cares obviously very
deeply about his frontline police officers as I do as
well and this government, and we will take any advice
that he brings forward to us.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Are you disappointed that none of the top three in
the police brass let any of you guys in the
Beehive know that Michael Forbes had had his phone taken
by them, even though they'd known for ages.

Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yes, I am disappointed by that, But again we have
we have a new police commissioner either a very good.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Strungle No, no, no, that's cool. I mean we all
like him, but at least one of those three, one
of them, one of those three is Andy Costa, who's
just got another job in the government. Did he did
he see that email when.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
It came into I've got no idea, but certainly I
sent it in my letter of expectation.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
I was very clear about no surprises. He knew.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
He knew though much because it's impossible that Jevin mc
skimming and Tanya Kurr didn't know and go to him
and go, you heard about Michael Forbes, So why didn't
he tell you?

Speaker 3 (02:28):
I can't speculate on that. He would have to be
outset himself. All that I know is that is that, yes,
I would have expected to be informed under no surprises.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, is this my Tanya Kurrar resigned the other day
because this is a bad look for her.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
No, No, I don't think. I don't know the reasons
behind that. That was her own choice.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Atter is operational, so but no more resignations.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
Always someone's choice did have anything to do with us.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
I'm the minister. I'm not involved in operational matters.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
And yeah, fair answer. I'll let you go with that one. Mark,
Thank you, Mark Mitchell, police minister. If you don't know
what I'm talking about, it's the stuff that came out
yesterday those three Gevim mcskimming, Andrew Costa, Tanya Kura. They
knew for ages that the guy tailing tailing the Prime
Minister was a bit dodgy, and they didn't tell them,
which they should have done, and then she quit the
other day. I think you could put two and two together.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
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