Napier shooting: Police tactics 'classic'

An armed policeman stands by as a man and child are evacuated. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Trying to draw Jan Molenaar from his home was like an intricate chess match between police and an erratic and unstable opponent.

It was a match made even more difficult by Molenaar's military and pig hunting experience.

Former police inspector Murray Forbes, who spent a decade heading Wellington's armed offenders squad, said police handling of the siege was "classic".

"It takes time. I know it upset the neighbours, but what's another day to another life?"

Forbes said he believed the priority on Thursday, the first day, would have been to cordon off and evacuate the area around Molenaar's home, without allowing him the freedom to move.

Forbes said a contained target was easier for armed police to deal with than a moving target who could cause more havoc.

Police would then have turned off Molenaar's water and power and tapped his phone. The intent was to make it "pretty damn uncomfortable for him".

Forbes was among the Special Tactics Group squad that killed David Gray, 33, in Aramoana in November 1990 after he went on a killing spree that cost 14 lives.

He said armed offenders squad snipers, with telescopic lens, would have been stationed at strategic areas to observe Molenaar through his windows.

Molenaar's military background would have made life more difficult for the armed police.

"He would have been fully aware of the gear the police would have had," Forbes said. "He wouldn't go near windows because he'd know exactly what the police would be doing."

The wooded hill where Molenaar's house was located would have made it even more difficult.

"It's pretty limited what they could do."

If tear gas was thrown in too early, it could have forced Molenaar outside "with that high powered firearm ... so you're worse off than you were before".

"That's why they wouldn't have tried that until they were really properly set up and had arrest groups. With the tear gas, they must have had a reception party ready to met him."

Former police negotiator and psychologist Ian Miller is one of the authors of the New Zealand Police manual on negotiation.

He said negotiators had to find a meaningful connection with their subject and use it to resolve the situation.

"They need to find out how the subject feels, what their concerns are and their state of mind, state of distress, possible causation that led to the incident.

"Remember that ... every situation is different." He said negotiators would not use family or friends as leverage. "It's totally inadvisable," said Miller.