Queen's Birthday Honours: Cop who took down Upper Hutt gunman commended for 'act of bravery'

Police attend the scene of the shooting at McDonalds in Upper Hutt. Photo Hagen Hopkins

Police Officer S
The New Zealand Bravery Medal for an act of bravery

A police officer who fatally shot a man wielding and firing shots at a busy McDonalds restaurant in Wellington has been honoured for his act of bravery.

The officer, who has not been named, received The New Zealand Bravery Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours today.

On September 8, 2015, Pera Smiler entered the fast food outlet on the corner of Upper Hutt's Main and Wakefield streets armed with a .303 calibre rifle in a soft carry case.

At the time the restaurant was packed with about 40 people eating or ordering their lunch.

Pera removed the rifle from the case and pointed it at staff, including manager Michael Riley who was working near the front counter.

The gunman demanded everyone leave the building and then fired a single shot at the ceiling causing staff and customers to flee.

Riley, who was also honoured for bravery in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, negotiated with Pera to get the remaining customers out.

• Worker receives bravery award after Upper Hutt McDonald's shooting

As he did that Officer S, as he has been referred to in the honours list, approached the restaurant with another officer.

As the pair crossed open ground making their way towards Pera, he shot at them from the restaurant entrance.

The officers dropped to the ground and the shot narrowly missed and passed through the window of a parked car.

The officers moved forward, using a truck as cover, and could see Pera moving away from the restaurant towards the main street.

"Officer S moved towards the intersection and took cover behind a concrete pillar," the documentation about his honour said.

"Officer S made himself visible and challenged the gunman to drop the rifle.

"The gunman responded by repeatedly challenging Officer S to shoot him."

Pera Smiler was shot by police after threatening officers and the public with a rifle. Photograph supplied

Officer S observed that Pera was holding the rifle with only one hand and the barrel pointed at the ground.

He did not think that conveyed an immediate threat at the time so he continued to challenge the gunman to drop the rifle and surrender peacefully.

Pera then approached a woman on the footpath and Officer S yelled at her to move away.

As she did, Pera turned back towards Officer S.

At this point two other officers ordered Pera to drop his gun.

They released a police dog in a bid to try and subdue the gunman.

"The gunman then turned and raised his rifle at the officers in a manner Officer S perceived as an immediate risk to his fellow officers," the documentation said.

"Officer S fired a shot, hitting the gunman."

Pera fell to the ground and police restrained him and gave first aid.

He died soon after at the scene.

His rifle was later found to have a live .303 round chambered.

"Officer S demonstrated bravery in engaging an unpredictable armed offender to attempt a peaceful resolution, having already been shot at directly during the incident, and acted swiftly to prevent harm to his fellow officers when they were threatened by the gunman," the honour document stated.

Officer S told the Herald that the circumstances of what took place in Upper Hutt that day made his New Zealand Bravery Medal "a very special one".

"When I responded to the incident my focus was on keeping the community safe," he said.

"That was the priority for all of us that day.

"My main concern was ensuring the immediate area was cleared of civilians as quickly and safely as possible, as we worked to prevent the situation from escalating given that shots had been fired.

"What unfolded was not the ending anyone would wish for but the lives of my colleagues were at immediate risk."