People needn't worryabout a military exercise starting straight after the anniversary of the Napier siege bringing back memories of the horror nine years ago. The exercise is not all it's cracked up to be.
The three-day siege started when three long-serving Napier policemen and a civilian were shot by cannabis grower Jan Molenaar outside his home near the foot of Chaucer Rd, also known as Breakneck Rd, about 9.30am on May 7, 2009.
Senior Constable Len Snee died at the scene. Fellow officers Bruce Miller and Grant Diver and civilian Lenny Holmwood, copping a blast as he tried to stop friend Molenaar's rampage, were all seriously injured and rescued by other officers and members of the public under threat of fire which continued for some time after the initial barrage.
Military-like police special tactics squad scenes, including the use of two army LAVs, were part of the city's lifestyle for the next 48 hours as police sought to end the situation without further injuries or loss of life, before entering 51-year-old Molenaar's home, where the gunman was found dead.
This month's military exercise was advertised last week as starting this Thursday and ending on May 31, including the likely appearance of military vehicles and soldiers with weapons in the Napier CBD, surrounding suburbs, coastal areas and on private rural land, as well as highways and rural roads.