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FOUR POLICE OFFICERS in New Zealand were shot yesterday during a siege at a rural property that began when an offender started taking potshots at an aircraft being used in an anti-drug operation.
One officer was serious but stable and the injuries sustained by the other three were not life-threatening, Deputy Commissioner Mike Clement said.
Police plane under fire
He said the siege, which was still ongoing at 6pm (5am GMT), began after a police plane searching for cannabis came under fire near the remote North Island town of Kawerau.
The Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) was deployed and four of its officers were shot in a stand-off at a rural property.
“It is always distressing for us all when officers are injured doing their duty,” he told reporters in Wellington.
Clement said no one was injured aboard the plane that came under fire, adding that indications pointed to a lone offender, but he was unable to go into too much detail.
“I simply can’t, it’s an investigation that’s ongoing,” he said. “He might indeed be watching us now on his own television.”
Gun laws
Regular police in New Zealand do not carry firearms on their person, relying on the specialist AOS. They also have firearms in their vehicle, but have to tell a supervisor if the gun needs to be removed.
The country tightened its gun laws to restrict access to semi-automatic rifles in 1992, two years after a man shot dead 13 people in the South Island town of Aramoana.
However, anyone over 16 can apply for a standard firearms licence after doing a safety course, which allows them to purchase and use a shotgun unsupervised.
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This is a case of New Zealand’s drug problem and not firearms laws.
I don’t see the need to stress the fact that at 16 you can buy a shotgun and use it unsupervised
So what. They can only get a licences if they need it.
At 16 you could well need one for a large range of reasons.
No evidences it was a legally held firearm
FYI you can apply & pass a firearms licence test (just like driving) at 16 because you want to, not because you need to.
Well that’s not entirely true Danny. In order to apply for a firearms licence at 16 in New Zealand, it needs to be for sport-related reasons. This link goes into detail about the procedure for applying for a firearm in New Zealand:
http://www.police.govt.nz/advice/firearms/standard-new-zealand-firearms-licence
Notably the government will interview both you and anyone acting as a ‘referee’ for both initial applications and renewals. They will also refuse your application if motivations such as ‘self-defence’ are used for acquiring the licence.
So Barry is right, you can’t just get a gun at 16 in New Zealand because you feel like it.
” They can only get a licences if they need it ” – I got one at 16 because I felt like it. I got a drivers licence at 16 because I felt like it.
They also changed their unarmed police policy but the author doesnt seem aware of that either.
It’s a copy-paste from the AFP. How an organisation which is incapable of basic research becomes the go-to for news sites for easy articles is beyond me.
Only in America??? Bollocks
Difference being is that we wont hear about another mass shooting in new zealand in a few days
You are comparing a population of 4.5m in NZ to US 340m plus over 10m illegals it’s more unlikely there will be another mass shooting in NZ before US.
have your say