KEY POINTS:
The police officer who fatally shot Stephen Bellingham in a Christchurch street a week and a half ago has had his condolences passed on to the dead man's family.
Mr Bellingham, 37, formerly of Napier, was shot dead on Stanmore Rd last Wednesday night after smashing up his Linwood flat and attacking cars parked nearby with a claw hammer.
Police said he was shot as he advanced on the officer with the hammer held over his head in a threatening manner.
A homicide inquiry was launched, along with an independent Police Complaints Authority inquiry.
Mr Bellingham's funeral was held in Napier on Thursday.
The Sunday Star-Times reported today that the police officer asked them to pass a message to Mr Bellingham's family.
"Could you please pass on my respects to the Bellingham family," he asked when the paper spoke to him outside his Canterbury property.
Family spokesman, Bellingham's uncle John Trischler, said the officer's words were appreciated.
"I'm pretty sure both parties would have respect for each other. There's been two families affected by the shooting - the police officer and his family and Stephen and his family," he told the Sunday Star-Times.
"Our family has respect for the police officer and what he's going through at the moment. We talk about it in terms of how he's feeling."
The police officer was named on Thursday in the New Zealand Truth Weekly newspaper, but other media have not done so.
Mr Trischler said Mr Bellingham's parents believed it would be fair if the officer's name was made public because their son's name had been released.
But the family was unaware of the police officer's name and felt it was irrelevant to them.
- NZPA
