Tough day as police lose one of their own

Fairfax Media

The day a policeman is killed on the job makes it a tough and gut-wrenching day, says the policeman in charge of the inquiry into the 28th slaying of an officer on duty.

The Counties Manukau police area where undercover police sergeant Don Wilkinson, 46, was shot dead, was a tough police beat, Detective Inspector John Tims said today.

Police say the "routine operation" which left Mr Wilkison dead was not considered a high risk.

Mr Tims said the police were a tight family.

"When one gets hurt, we all hurt. It is a tough day, it is gut wrenching, it is just tough," said Mr Tims at a media conference a few hours after Mr Wilkinson died and his undercover colleague, also a sergeant, was shot several times.

At the same conference Commissioner Howard Broad said, as well as the murder inquiry, police were holding their own inquiry into the covert drug operation, initially assessed as low risk but which led to a police death.

"For the second time this year we have had the tragic situation of an officer who has been killed in the line of duty," he said.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the shooting showed how vulnerable police were.

He said in a small country where the police were close no matter where they served, such news spread very quickly.

"When we get this phone call in the middle of the night we all know what it is. We know it is an officer down and as soon as that happens word very quickly goes throughout the country."

He said "a real mood hits policing in the country and the first thing people do is pick up phones often and ring home.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said today her thoughts were with the policeman's family.

"Police every day put their lives on the front line. The officer last night was on duty and he's been killed by a criminal. That will go severely punished and my thoughts are with his family."

She was asked if there was a problem with violence in South Auckland.

"I think it would be wrong just to point the finger at one particular area. Sadly in our society, as in any society, we have criminals who target police officers doing their duty and that's unacceptable anywhere," she said.

ACCUSED IN COURT

Two men in their thirties have appeared in Manukau District Court this afternoon on charges relating to the death of Mr Wilkinson.

One man was charged with murder and the other with assault.

The charges follow this morning's shooting of two police officers, killing one, in South Auckland.

This afternoon police located a 5.5 calibre, gas powered air rifle, which was fitted with a scope, at a Hain Avenue address, the street where the shootings took place. However, they said it was too early to say if this was the rifle used in the shootings.

The two officers were part of a covert operation targeting a suspected P lab at a Hain Ave, Mangere, house when they were disturbed by the occupants at 1.44am.

The officers, who had been trying to fit a surveillance device to a vehicle, fled along the street as the armed occupants jumped in a car and pursued them.

Mr Wilkinson died immediately from a single gun shot and the other was wounded and is being treated in Middlemore Hospital. He will undergo surgery today but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

On application by defence lawyer Graeme Newll today, the full details of the two charged men have been supressed.

The name of the second injured officer is also supressed. The 44-year-old sergeant was shot several times and assaulted before being removed from the scene by ambulance staff.

Judge Greg Hikaka remanded the two men in custody until Sept 23.

Mr Wilkinson, 46, of Waimauku, was an officer for nine years.

Neither of the officers was wearing ballistic armour, however, the surviving officer was wearing a stab resistant vest.

'IT'S A DANGEROUS DUTY THAT WE DO'

Commissioner Howard Broad, Detective Inspector John Tims, the officer in charge of the case, and Superintendent Ted Cox held a press conference at police headquaters in Otahuhu shortly before midday.

Mr Tims said police received a radio message from the two officers, which caused them to respond. But events unfolded too quickly for them to be able to intervene.

Mr Broad said this was the second time this year an officer had been killed in the line of duty.

"It is a dangerous duty that we do," he said.

A full internal inquiry would be held into events and "if there are lessons to be learnt, they willed be learnt, Mr Broad said.

The loss of a colleague would remind every officer that there is risk to being in the police and that death can happen unexpectedly.

SHOCK ON THE STREET

Sam Aiona, who lives in the house where the policemen were shot outside, said he heard two shots and came outside to find a lot of police.

"We heard two shots, 'bang bang'.

"I came out and a body was lying on a driveway. It was already covered and the police were already there."

Olive Reed, who lives up a long driveway from the house which had been under surveillance, said she had heard nothing overnight but was alerted to the police presence by neighbours about 7.30am.

The Reeds said there had been no activity at the house in the past which would have raised suspicion. "It sure is a shock ... they seemed nothing more than ordinary normal people."

Mrs Reed said she had lived in the area a long time and was disappointed when South Auckland got lumped with a crime-ridden label. "P labs are in all parts of Auckland city."

She would stay at home today because she had been warned it would be difficult to return through the police cordons if she left. A painter who was due at her property had to also reschedule their work.

Zoe Zau, who lives in the street, said she feared for her family.

"I live across the road," she said.

"I hear the voice of a speeding car every night, I am very worried for my children."

She said early this morning she heard a speeding car and then the police.

She did not hear shots.

COVERT SURVEILLANCE OPERATION

Mr Cox, from Counties Mangere police said the two shot policemen were part of a police technical support unit and were installing a tracking device on a vehicle outside the suspected P lab house.

"The installation of the device was authorised under warrant from the district court.

"These officers were disturbed by occupants of the house who pursued them while armed, got into a vehicle and chased them down the road," Mr Cox alleged.

"As they fled from the address to some 75 metres away where both the officers were shot.

Police said today they had targeted the house and the occupants, but the assessment carried out before the operation early in the morning did not rate the risk as high.

Mr Cox said they were not aware of the firearm in the house. Had police known the two men were armed they would have approached the operation differently.

"Regrettably events unfolded too quickly for other (armed) officers to be able to respond and intervene and we now have this tragedy," Mr Cox said today at a media conference.

He was asked if police got it wrong when their intelligence assessed the operation as low risk.

"Hindsight is a great thing because it has happened.

"The reality is that all those procedures and checks were carried out and there was nothing to heighten the awareness.

"We are very conscious obviously of the link between clan labs, methamphetamine and firearms. It is part of the daily picture unfortunately."

Four children were present at the Hain Ave address during the overnight incident.

The youngest three have been removed from the address and are with extended family members.

- with NZPA