King Cobras gang members escorting the body of Sam Fakalago, shot by police in Wellington last week, on his way to burial in Auckland. Video / George Block
King Cobras gang members have gathered en masse in Māngere to farewell a man shot by police in Wellington.
Sam Fakalago, 30, was shot in Newlands on Tuesday last week after holing up in a house with a woman and a young child.
Police have said he was threatening the woman before he was shot.
Fakalago was an associate of the King Cobras, New Zealand's oldest patched gang, but was made a full member posthumously and is to be buried in a patch, the Herald understands.
He lay in state wearing his patch in an open casket in videos posted to social media.
His family and friends have been vocal in supporting Fakalago and criticising the police, and some have taken to using new the hashtag #justiceforsam.
King Cobras gathered at the Catholic Church Polynesian Centre in Bader Drive today for the dead man's final send-off. Photo / Dean Purcell
King Cobras gang members have gathered en masse in Māngere to farewell a man shot by police in Wellington. Photo / Dean Purcell
On Thursday morning his whānau, friends and many King Cobras gathered at the Catholic Church Polynesian Centre in Bader Drive for his final send-off, following smaller services in Wellington and Auckland.
Some wore T-shirts with Fakalogo's face and the line "rest easy uso [brother]".
He is to be taken from the centre for burial accompanied by a procession of gang members on motorbikes on Thursday afternoon.
A huge procession started with one King Cobra doing burnouts before the procession of dozens of riders drove out along Bader Drive escorting a red van carrying his body.
The police Eagle helicopter flew overhead in preparation for the convoy.
Sam Fakalago making the hand sign of the King Cobras (KCs).
The centre where he is being farewelled is next to the Māngere police station.
Several police officers are stationed across the road taking photographs of people arriving but are maintaining a low-key presence.
They have been met with anger by a few attendees, who told them to "f*** off", but there has been no major confrontations and no disorder.
Very senior gang members including life members of the King Cobras attended the funeral.
Sam Fakalago was an associate of the King Cobras. Photo / Dean Purcell
The King Cobras were formed in Ponsonby by young Samoans in the late 1950s.
Their traditional strongholds remain Auckland central, particularly Ponsonby and Grey Lynn, and Māngere.
