Focus Live: Police Commissioner Andrew Coster responds after cop shot dead in Massey
A police officer shot in West Auckland has died, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster confirmed.
Two officers were shot in Massey today and member of the public was hit and injured by a vehicle after police performed a routine traffic stop on Reynella Drive in Massey.
St John confirmed three people have been taken to hospital. One of the police officers has died.
The Herald understands one of the shot officers was calling for help. He could be heard yelling that he had been shot and was bleeding.
Another of those hurt suffered serious injuries and the other is said to have moderate injuries.
Cordons are in place and schools in the immediate area have been advised to lockdown.
Police advise all members of the public to avoid the Massey area, in particular the areas around Don Buck Road, Waimumu Road, Hewlitt Road and Triangle Road.
Terrified witness describes seeing officer on ground
Elaine Taniela, who lives near Reynella Drive, was at home when she heard three distinctive sounds she now believes were gunshots.
"My dad was outside and heard them as well."
Taniela said her father's friend, who had been coming over to their house at the time, described harrowing scenes as he drove down Reynella Drive heading towards Triangle Rd.
"He was shaking telling us," she said.
"As he neared the first roundabout (near Gallony Avenue) he saw a cop on the ground. "He said it looked like he was having a seizure. He was shaking."
Taniela said her father's friend immediately stopped his car and tried to get out of the car. "He wanted to help the cop. But the neighbours and another cop yelled out to him - telling to carry on driving."
As the man then got back into his car and drove off, he saw a second police officer "hunched over" another person he believed was also a police officer.
'Shocked and speechless': Local board chair
Henderson-Massey Local Board chairman and former Labour MP Chris Carter was unaware of the shooting when contacted by the Herald.
"On behalf of the community and for the families of the affected officers I'm really, really shocked and speechless. It is not the sort of thing you think will happen in New Zealand," he said.
Worried parent waits to collect son
A concerned parent is waiting to collect his child, whose west Auckland kindy is in lockdown.
Jordan is standing outside Reynella Drive in Massey, hoping to pick up his son from the kindergarten on the street.
He says he got a call from his partner that his son's kindy's in lockdown.
Jordan says he's trying to get his son and go home.
St John confirmed they had several ambulance units at the scene in Massey - after being called to the incident about 10.40am.
Three ambulance vehicles, one rapid response unit and three manager units were sent. The latter unit is usually sent to very serious incidents.
A woman at the St Paul's Catholic Church on Waimumu Rd said about 11.15am that she had seen two police cars zooming down towards Don Buck Road a few minutes earlier.
A police helicopter is also now hovering above the area.
"We were wondering what was happening," she said.
A police spokesperson confirmed officers are responding to an incident in Massey but would not comment further.
