Third bullet fatal shot in motorway standoff

An armed offenders squad officer fired twice at gunman Stephen McDonald - hitting the windscreen and the cab of a truck - before firing a third shot that killed Halatau Naitoko.

The officer, known only as officer A84, was standing at the side of the Northwestern Motorway and McDonald was arrested after the shooting but Mr Naitoko, 17, died instantly.

At an inquest into his death yesterday at the Auckland District Court, ESR forensic scientist Kevan Walsh said he believed the fatal shot wasn't deflected before it struck Mr Naitoko, who was sitting in his van behind the truck.

The bullet hit him 20mm above his left nipple after it passed through the folds of his sleeve.

Mr Walsh said the officer fired a shot which struck the windscreen of the small truck McDonald was trying to hijack.

The truck moved forward and the officer fired again hitting the vertical bar behind the passenger's side of the cab of the truck.

That bullet fragmented - parts of it hitting McDonald and parts hitting Mr Naitoko's van.

When the truck moved forward to its final resting place, officer A84 fired again, across the rear of the truck, hitting Mr Naitoko. At the same time another officer, A81, fired a shot that entered through the side of the tray of the rear of the truck, again missing McDonald.

McDonald sparked the shoot-out with police when he was spotted in a car with a gun on January 23.

He pleaded guilty to 23 charges in July and was sentenced to 13 years' jail.

The inquest has adjourned without either officer A84 or A81 giving evidence. They have appealed to the High Court in a bid to be able to give evidence without appearing in court.

The appeal will be heard tomorrow. The inquest won't resume until next year.