The fatal police shooting of Kurow man Graeme Warren last December was justified, an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report says.
The incident arose when three officers responded to a 111 call from Mr Warren’s son, who was worried his father was threatening to commit suicide.
The authority found a police officer was justified in shooting Mr Warren as he was acting to defend himself and another officer.
Authority chairman Judge Colin Doherty said he considered the appropriateness of the initial police response; whether the officer was justified in shooting Mr Warren; and whether police provided timely medical assistance.
Although Officer A was the sole-charge officer for Kurow, he was off duty and at a Christmas dinner with his wife at the time of the initial alert, about 9pm.
Officer A was a friend to both Mr Warren — whom he knew as "Squid" — and his son, the report says.
As Officer A was rostered off, two further officers, referred to as B and C, were dispatched from a nearby town.
However, at 10.05pm, having had a large meal and three beers, Officer A noticed he had two missed calls from Mr Warren’s son and called him back.
Concerned for Mr Warren’s state of mind, he set out to find him, and did so at his Kurow home, at 10.49pm.
In his report, Judge Doherty said the authority accepted Officer A was fit and able to perform his duties, and correctly chose to go on duty despite having consumed alcohol as he was "unaffected" by that consumption and best-placed to locate and talk to Mr Warren, given his relationship.
After Officer A had talked to Mr Warren through a sliding door for some time, Officer C arrived at the property at 11.10pm, and Officer B at 11.14pm.
It was about this time Mr Warren stopped communicating freely, the report says.
Having identified the situation as high risk, the officers armed themselves and cordoned off the property.
Despite further pleas, Mr Warren began to issue threats to the officers and, about 11.52pm, he emerged from his house, placing his rifle at waist height.
As the situation deteriorated, Mr Warren pointed his rifle at Officer B, who reacted by shooting Mr Warren once in the lower abdomen with his own rifle.
Officer B said he knew the rifle was pointed straight at him, as he could see its scope clearly.
"I could see, and I will remember this until the day I die, the scope of his rifle reflected in the light."
He said he feared for his and Officer C’s lives.
"I raised my rifle, had [Mr Warren] in my sights, flicked the safety off and pulled the trigger all in one movement," he said.
Southern district commander, Superintendent Paul Basham, responded to the report yesterday, describing the incident as a "tragic outcome".
"The officers who responded to this matter made significant and ongoing attempts to communicate with Mr Warren, urging him to surrender to police and not harm himself," Supt Basham said.
"Unfortunately, when Mr Warren did exit his house, he threatened an officer and pointed his rifle at him, and then presented his rifle at a second officer.
"The second officer — fearing that he or his colleague were going to be grievously injured or killed — fired one shot, wounding Mr Warren in the abdomen."
First aid was provided immediately, and Mr Warren was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital, where he died shortly after.
