IPCA finds police officer wrongful in shooting dead fleeing armed man during car chase in Oakland

“An armed offenders squad was deployed and two dog handlers followed to intervene if the man was threatening the public,” an IPCA spokesman said.

Thirty minutes into the chase, the first of three “armed confrontations” occurred at the Ellerslie junction.

“Although the man pointed a firearm at the officer, we concluded that the officer was not justified in shooting him due to the risk that he might inadvertently strike the driver of the fleeing vehicle (whose role in the events was unclear at that time) or the public.”

Two other incidents in which police opened fire on men occurred shortly thereafter in Hillsboro.

The gunman pointed a gun at officers running toward the house and again during a confrontation on the deck.

The IPCA praised the officer’s “considerable bravery” on all these occasions. They said that although it was a complex effort involving several people, one officer took the lead role in responding to the threat.

In removing Auckland City District Commander, Acting Superintendent Sunny Patel described it as a “dangerous” incident that occurred across the city.

“The officer involved only had a few seconds to decide his actions and, fortunately, no one else was injured or killed that day.”

“Our employees are reminded of our policies regarding fleeing vehicular and firearm pursuits and the risk posed by discharged firearms.”

Subscribe to Daily HA free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.