Police officers after a bravery awards ceremony relating to the May 2009 Napier shooting and siege. Photo / File
Commissioner of Police Mike Bush and former police Eastern Districts Commander Sam Hoyle are expected to be in Napier on Tuesday for a Napier Siege commemoration for police, emergency services, families and others close to the tragedy in Napier 10 years ago.
It will mark the anniversary of the death
of Senior Constable Len Snee and the serious wounding of fellow senior constables Grant Diver and Bruce Miller and civilian Len Holmwood who were shot by cannabis grower Jan Molenaar after the three officers arrived at Molenaar's Chaucer Rd, Napier, home to conduct a search on the morning of May 7, 2009.
As Molenaar fired dozens of shots around the valley on the Napier side of hospital hill, a considerable area of Napier was put into lockdown. The siege lasted 51 hours before cautious armed and heavily protected officers entered the house and found Molenaar dead in his bedroom from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Also found in the house were 17 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, home-made bombs, battlefield accessories, armour, almost a kilogram of cannabis, a bedroom converted for growing cannabis and $15,000 cash.
Numerous acts of bravery, including rescues of wounded officers while under fire from the gunman and other acts by police and members of the public, were later recognised in a range of bravery awards.
