The actions of two police officers who shot a man dead outside an Upper Hutt McDonald's after an armed confrontation last year were brave and justified, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found.
Pera Ariki Smiler, 25, was shot by police on September 8 after brandishing and firing a high-powered rifle in the town centre and inside the fast food restaurant.
IPCA chairman Judge Sir David Carruthers said in his findings, released today, that the police response to the incident was "justified, immediate and effective".
"The police officers who armed themselves and went towards Upper Hutt McDonald's did so at great personal risk, in order to protect the public. They believed that people in the restaurant had been shot.