Police said Fakalago had refused to release a woman and child before they opened fire. Photo:
The police watchdog has found two officers who shot dead a man in Newlands, Wellington, a year ago were acting to save a woman's life.
Two officers shot Samuel Fakalago on 7 June last year as he held a knife to his partner's throat.
Police arrived at the house on Kingsbridge Place in the suburb of Newlands after receiving calls that a man had beaten a pregnant woman on her driveway, threatened to stab her and dragged her inside the house.
When police arrived, Fakalago threatened to shoot the officers and barricaded the front door.
He allowed her four-year-old daughter out of the house. Police surrounded the house while waiting for the Armed Offenders Squad to arrive.
But before they arrived, Fakalago came to the back door with the woman, holding a knife to her throat. He did not drop the knife when challenged, and two officers each fired four shots.
In a written report just released, the Independent Police Conduct Authority found the officers' actions were justified.
"We acknowledge there was a real risk of Ms Z being accidentally shot by Officers D and E when they discharged their weapons.
"We have considered this carefully and remain satisfied that Officers D and E needed to act immediately to prevent Mr Fakalago from seriously injuring or killing Ms Z, and the opportunity to pause or deploy less lethal options was not available to them."
Officers were called to a house in the Newlands area. Photo: RNZ / Hamish Cardwell
In a written statement, Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell described it as "a complex and rapidly evolving incident, in which Mr Fakalago put a woman in serious danger and made violent threats toward police".
"Mr Fakalago held a knife to the woman's throat, dragging her towards him. Police made repeated appeals for him to release the knife and the woman, however he failed to do so."
Police were forced to make quick decisions to keep people safe, and the decision to use lethal force was "always a last resort", he said.
"I am confident the officers involved took the only option available to them in the circumstances to ensure the woman's safety and prevent further harm."
Fakalago's partner denied he had assaulted her in the driveway or that she was in any danger from him inside the house.
She told the IPCA that while Fakalago had a knife to her throat when they were in the laundry, he had no intention of hurting her.
"He did have the knife but he was showing the police that if you come in, this is what's gonna happen, even though I knew that was not gonna happen ... I knew I wasn't in danger but him, he needed to show the police that I was in danger so that it would buy us more time."
