Police kill with impunity | The Jackal

8 May 2012

Police kill with impunity

Today, the Dominion Post reported:

Mr Kelly-Tumarae's mother, Mereheni Tumarae, said the family met police officers yesterday, but she was not satisfied with the investigation's findings.

"We know how police can work their situation. They've come to the conclusion that they couldn't detain him so have used force against him," Mrs Tumarae said.

She did not believe the police version of events and still questioned whether her son had been armed when he was shot.

"They've concocted things to suit their position. Anything can be changed or manipulated."

She believed her son had been shot more than three times and was planning to hire a forensic specialist to study his clothing to see if that could be verified.

A police spokeswoman said the investigation had been lengthy because the large number of police who attended the incident had to be interviewed at length and there were long delays waiting for the results of some forensic tests that were sent to overseas agencies.

The case would now be referred to the coroner. An investigation into the shooting by the Independent Police Conduct Authority has yet to be finalised.

There is no doubt that the Independent Police Conduct Authority will find in favour of the police... basically because they are the police. The fact that the IPCA are refusing to divulge how many complaints they uphold each year is a clear indication of their corruption.

The IPCA is in fact set up to protect the police in such matters, which gives them a free license to do whatever they want. They're effectively a law unto themselves, and that's why we continue to get young people being shot dead, with nobody held to account.

The words of Mereheni Tumarae should not be dismissed.