Police cleared in fatal shooting

Police say they have been cleared of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of a man in south Auckland in August as he attacked his wife with a knife.

Haidar Mahdi, 37, died after he was shot by a police officer at his home. The policeman had already been stabbed by Mahdi who was shot as he held his wife in a choke hold with a knife at her throat.

He had begun to hit his wife with the knife when he was shot.

Police said today they had been cleared by the Crown Law Office which backed the police claim that the shooting was justified.

Homicide inquiry head Detective Inspector Steve Rutherford said the investigation found the shooting was justified and reasonable and the force used prevented further injuries to both the woman and the policeman who were being attacked by Mr Madhi with a knife.

Mr Madhi's wife, Maryam Abed was overseas and could not be contacted about the finding, police said.

"Although we can't ignore the sad circumstances that a life was taken under these circumstances, in this case the actions of the officer was justified," Mr Rutherford said.

Mr Rutherford, said the officer's actions were "heroic" and prevented further serious injury to police and the woman.

She was injured but was saved from what could have been life-threatening or horrific injuries, he said.

Police were called to the Dale Crescent home in Pakuranga after ambulance officers said there was a violent domestic incident there.

Mr Mahdi, an Iraqi refugee, was armed with a carving knife and was distressed.

When he advanced on the police pepper spray was used but had little effect and police left the room.

Mr Rutherford said within seconds the woman was screaming and police went back into the room and Mr Mahdi was shot.

The dead man's wife disputed the police version of events and had his body examined by a second pathologist.

The lawyer she hired, Nalesoni Tupou, later said there was a "big discrepancy" between the police and Mrs Mahdi over how many shots were fired.

Mr Mahdi who came to New Zealand in 2001 to escape violence in Iraq, had a mental illness but there had been no reports of violence.

- NZPA