The Independent Police Conduct Authority says members of the Hawke's Bay Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) were justified in shooting Chazz Hall - who earlier shot and killed his former partner, Victoria Foster, at a Napier address.
Hall survived the shooting but suffered several serious injuries as a result of the incident in Clive on 26 October 2015.
At 8.55pm Police received a 111 call from a relative of 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 his location was not known.
A safe gathering point for staff was established and cordons were set up around Ms Fosters address. The Hawke's 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 Hall's car. The officer provided location updates which allowed armed AOS officers to take over.
The AOS officers following Hall could see a shotgun pointing out the driver's window. Over the next half an hour he drove over road spikes and fired three shots from his car.
Police considered him to be an "active shooter" as he was firing at Police and posed an immediate and serious threat to life.
As he headed out of Hastings, towards Clive, the AOS Commander set up a roadblock at the Tutaekuri-Waitangi Bridge to prevent him from reaching Napier. He 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.
He turned his car around and drove towards another group of AOS officers. These officers did not know he had the shotgun in his mouth.
Three officers fired at the car as he drove past. He was not hit and continued to drive towards Clive with the officers following.
A short time later, he 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 him point his shotgun out the driver's window towards them.
One officer fired five shots into Hall's car, incapacitating him.
Officers immediately provided 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.
Inspector Tania Kura, Acting Eastern District Commander said: "This was a fast moving and highly dangerous situation both for our staff and the public.
"I commend the Armed Offenders Squad and other police staff involved who responded professionally and appropriately to the situation which was presented to them that night."
In March this year Hall was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum 15 and a half years.