The Independent Police Conduct Authority released a report today finding that members of the Hawkes Bay Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) were justified in shooting Chazz Hall in Clive, Hawkes Bay, on 26 October 2015. Earlier in the evening Mr Hall had shot and killed his former partner, Victoria Foster, at a Napier address.
Mr Hall survived the shooting but suffered several serious injuries as a result.
At 8.55pm Police received a 111 call from a relative of Mr Hall. The relative told Police that Mr Hall had told him that he had shot his girlfriend.
The Police Central Communications Centre (CentComms) immediately broadcast relevant information to frontline staff, including that Mr Hall was probably armed. At this stage Mr Hall’s location was not known. A safe gathering point for staff was established and cordons were set up around Ms Fosters address. The Hawkes Bay AOS were called out.
Over the next hour Police managed to make telephone contact with Mr Hall via a relative. Mr Hall was driving at the time and told his relative and Police that he was going to shoot Police and shoot himself.
About the same time, a Police officer saw Mr Hall’s car. The officer provided location updates which allowed armed AOS officers to take over. The AOS officers following Mr Hall could see a shotgun pointing out the driver’s window. Over the next half an hour, Mr Hall drove over road spikes and fired three shots from his car.
Police considered Mr Hall to be an ‘active shooter’ as he was firing at Police and posed an immediate and serious threat to life, requiring an urgent response.
As Mr Hall headed out of Hastings, towards Clive, the AOS Commander set up a roadblock at the Tutaekuri-Waitangi Bridge to stop Mr Hall and prevent him from reaching Napier. Mr Hall drove up to the roadblock with the barrel of his shotgun in his mouth. The officers did not fire at him, believing that he was going to commit suicide.
Mr Hall turned his car around and drove towards another group of AOS officers. These officers did not know Mr Hall had the shotgun in his mouth. They knew only that he was an active shooter who had driven off from a roadblock after being told he was under arrest and was now accelerating towards them. Three officers fired at Mr Hall’s car as he drove past. Mr Hall was not hit and continued to drive towards Clive with the officers following.
A short time later, Mr Hall stopped on Main Road in Clive. AOS surrounded the car and instructed Mr Hall to get out. He did not comply and disappeared from view. Two officers then saw Mr Hall point his shotgun out the driver’s window towards them.
Fearing that Mr Hall was going to shoot them, one officer fired five shots into Mr Hall’s car, incapacitating him.
Officers immediately provided Mr Hall with first aid and he was transferred to hospital.
“Mr Hall presented a very real risk of death or serious bodily harm to Police and members of the public and needed to be urgently stopped. The officers who shot at Mr Hall were justified in doing so” said Authority Chair, Judge Sir David Carruthers.