Shot woman brandished airgun

Whangarei Leader

CLOSELY WRAPPED: Tarpaulins are used to seal off the scene.

Whangarei Leader

CORDONED OFF: Police at the scene.

Whangarei Leader

SHOOTING INCIDENT: Police at the scene on Reyburn Street in Whangarei.

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The woman shot and killed by police in Whangarei today was armed with an airgun, not a shotgun as first thought.

Today's shooting was the 22nd time police have shot dead a person since 1941, with the shooting of Stephen Billingham in Christchurch last September the most recent before today. This latest case is the first fatal shooting by police of a woman.

The woman - aged in her mid 30s - was seen entering the First Mobile Vodafone Shop on Reyburn Street just after 9am.

She initially held six people hostage but five managed to escape through a window at the rear of the shop. The remaining staff member was with the woman for about an hour.

Acting district commander Chris Scahill said the woman came out of the shop twice and, on the second occasion, was shot by an Armed Offenders Squad member.

Police said in an earlier statement that she had pointed the firearm - first thought to be a shotgun but now identified by police as an airgun - at officers.

"Police tried to resuscitate the woman, but she died at the scene."

The body remains at the shop, which has been partially screened off by police with large tarpaulins. It was likely to stay there until tomorrow when it would be taken for an autopsy.

Mr Scahill said all the hostages were shaken. The staff member who remained inside witnessing the shooting. "He's very shaken up".

The body could be seen this afternoon still lying on the floor of the shop just inside the door. She was lying on her back, wearing jeans and sneakers.

During the hostage drama, witnesses described seeing the dreadlocked woman open the door of the shop and get shot by the AOS member, who was crouched behind a car across the road.

One witness described the woman as looking 'spaced out' on drugs.

Another witness, Arthur McKechnie, said: "I saw a lady come out holding a shotgun, she opened the door and went back in but 10 minutes later there was a shot."

Only one staff member was inside the building at the time of the incident.

He emerged some time after the shot was fired and after armed offenders squad had cleared the building.

Another eyewitness, who did not want to be named, watched the incident unfolding from the coffee shop across the street.

"I saw her with the gun and a hostage sitting down. She walked out once and walked back inside."

The Whangarei man says as the coffee shop has only the front entrance, patrons had to be escorted out by the armed offenders squad.

The man says he heard the shot fire, then saw a policeman walking off a roof with a gun and ladder.

"He was pretty shaken up," says the eyewitness.

In a statement later in the day Vodafone said it "regrets this terrible incident and our first priority is the care of our staff who were in the store at the time".

It said it had arranged counselling and would provide whatever ongoing support is needed.

"Our thoughts are with all involved and the staff of the Whangarei store in particular," Vodafone said. "They acted calmly and responsibly during a tense situation and while they are obviously shaken and upset they are otherwise unharmed."

Reyburn St was cordoned off into Thursday night as police carried out a scene examination, causing traffic disruption throughout the city.

Police say a homicide investigation has been launched and the Officer in Charge of Professional Standards has been notified.

More than 30 police are working on the investigation.