Third police officer tried tasering shooting accused

Police dog Gage attacked the man who is accused of shooting Constable Mitchel Alatalo and Senior Constable Bruce Lamb. Photo / Simon Baker

A third police officer tried to taser a man accused of shooting two Christchurch constables during the encounter in the accused's house yesterday, but was unsuccessful, a local police commander revealed today.

Christopher Graeme Smith, 34, a process worker of Christchurch, appeared briefly in Christchurch District Court this morning charged with attempting to murder Constable Mitchel Mikko Alatalo, 39, and Senior Constable Bruce Malcolm Lamb, 51, both of whom are recovering in Christchurch Hospital from their injuries.

He is also charged with using a firearm against another police officer, Daniel Isherwood, having a pig knife in his possession with an intention to use it to cause bodily injury, intentionally killing a police dog and cultivating cannabis.

Mr Cliff told media an inquiry was underway to determine how Mr Smith had obtained the weapons that were found in his house after the shootings. Mr Smith did not have a licence for the weapons.

Police found a .22 rifle, a .308 rifle and a shotgun were in the house where the shooting took place.

One of the shot officers in pain

Mr Cliff said both Senior Constable Mr Lamb and Mr Alatalo were in good spirits but Mr Lamb was still in a lot of pain and had been unable to sleep throughout the night.

However a nurse had sat and talked with him though the night which he (Mr Lamb) thought was brilliant, Mr Cliff said.

Mr Lamb was deeply upset by the loss of his six-year-old police dog Gage and was doing a lot of "soul searching" over how he could have approached the incident differently.

One issue he had raised with Mr Cliff was whether he should have taken a firearm from his vehicle into the house where the shootings occurred.

But Mr Lamb had also stated he did not think having a gun would have made any difference to the outcome.

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