Guns fire in elite squad drill

Sniper fire, grenade blasts and the crack of automatic weapons shattered the calm at Queen Elizabeth Park during elite close protection drills in Masterton yesterday.

Masterton Mayor Garry Daniell role-played an official introduction for a visiting dignitary during the mid-morning exercise, which featured the firing of blank rounds and smoke grenades as the climax of a seven-week close protection course run by the New Zealand Army Military Police.

Major Mark Bateman, NZ Army Military Police commanding officer, said less than 20 personnel were involved yesterday and other training exercises involving "men in black" had been earlier held in Wairarapa, including a staged VIP function at Poppies Martinborough vineyard and a drill at Lake Ferry.

He said 16 candidates had initially started the course before their number was pared down to nine and, eventually to the five men in black suits, shiny shoes, and dark shades who travelled to Masterton yesterday.

"Today requires only the best. These guys go to the next level providing close protection for dignitaries and any persons who may be at risk of assassination, abduction or assault."

The intensive training course had focused on specialist weapons training, hand-to-hand combat, fast and evasive driving and high level negotiations skills, he said, and the drill in Masterton brought together all of the skill-sets in which the men had been training.

The five men arrived by car at the pavilion about 10.30am armed with Steyr assault rifles and Sig Sauer pistols, in the wake of two explosives detection dogs that had ensured "nothing nasty had been left" at the scene.

In the keeping of the protection team was retired police superintendent Tony McLeod, former national operations manager, who was role-playing as Her Majesty's Commissioner. Mr McLeod had been introduced to a small crowd of onlookers and media standing in front of the pavilion when a sniper cut short his opening sentences and began firing from the boot of a car parked on the eastern side of the cricket oval. The protection squad returned fire at the sniper while Mr McLeod was hunched over and hustled at a run from the podium to his vehicle.

More gunfire rang out from the rear of the pavilion, where two men dressed as workers in hi-vis vests began advancing tree-to-tree on the car carrying Mr McLeod.

The entire surprise drill lasted barely five minutes and the protection team successfully escaped the scene with "the boss", leaving only spent shells and drifting smoke in their wake.

Mr Daniell said the exercise had been fascinating despite being "a little disappointed they didn't look after me too".

Major Bateman thanked the mayor, individuals and organisations for their involvement, along with the wider community.