Jan Molenaar shot dead one police officer and critically wounded two others and a mate before barricading himself in his home. Senior reporter Patrick Gower pieces together how the standoff unfolded.
THURSDAY MAY 7
9.30am
Local community policeman Senior Constable Bruce Miller, Senior Constable Grant Diver, police
dog Fi and Senior Constable Len Snee, from Taradale station, begin a routine drugs raid at Jan Molenaar's house at 41 Chaucer Rd on Napier's Hospital Hill.
They have a search warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act and are looking for cannabis.
They are unarmed and without stab-proof vests as they have no intelligence that Molenaar - who has two minor previous convictions - might have guns.
Molenaar is out walking his dog so the officers are let in by his partner Delwyn Keefe.
They find a room set up to grow hydroponic cannabis with several plants in it.
Mr Snee stays upstairs while the others go down to the garage area and find packages of dried cannabis and a sawn-off shotgun.
Mr Diver goes back up to tell Mr Snee what they have found. When he gets there he finds Molenaar confronting Mr Snee with a sawn-off rifle.
Molenaar opens fire without warning or provocation. The three officers make it out of the house and head towards the street.
* * *
9.30am-10.20am
Mr Snee is shot three times - in the left forearm, the upper torso and the lower torso. Both torso shots are fatal, and kill him instantly.
Molenaar runs down to the street and tries to shoot Mr Miller and Mr Diver as they drag themselves up Chaucer Rd, a steep hill known as "Breakneck".
Lenny Holmwood, a friend of Molenaar, arrives. He grapples with Molenaar, in an act of bravery that police say saved the wounded officers' lives.
Holmwood is shot in the left thigh. Despite being grievously injured, he manages to drag himself down the hill and takes cover behind a wall.
Molenaar also fires at motorists passing by, ambulance officers and police who try to go the aid of the stricken officers. Police say these shots are classified as "attempted murder".
Mr Diver takes refuge in a nearby house where he is helped by the occupant and police.
Mr Miller is pulled to safety by one of the first police officers on the scene, Detective Sergeant Tim Smith, and two civilians, while under fire. Police say their actions are heroic.
Inquiry head Detective Superintendent Rod Drew describes this hour as "a very frightening and dangerous situation, involving general murderous intent by the gunman Jan Molenaar". He says it is also characterised by the "amazing courage" of those who helped while the officers lay in the street.
At some point Molenaar lets his partner Ms Keefe leave.
* * *
12.30pm
Police fire what they say are their only two gunshots of the operation.
This comes after Molenaar fires a volley of shots at armed offenders squad members near the house.
Molenaar points a rifle from behind a partially open door on the deck of his house.
A police officer fires the two shots at where he is believed to be standing and hits him. Molenaar retreats inside and there is a temporary lull in the shooting. Later in the day he tells police officers and family he was hit, but refuses to say where or the extent of the wound.
Mr Drew says the officer's actions in shooting are "fully justified". He complied with the law of self defence and defence of others. The shooting is also within police regulations.
* * *
FRIDAY MAY 8
About 3am
Police turn street lights off outside the house.
Attempts to retrieve Mr Snee's body are met with gunfire from Molenaar's house.
* * *
Morning
Police negotiators report that Molenaar is in "low spirits".
* * *
1.05pm
Negotiators set up a conversation between Molenaar and his partner, Ms Keefe.
He tells her he doesn't want to come out, he has had enough, he doesn't want to go to jail, he shouldn't have shot the people, and that he wants to do "it" his way.
* * *
1.23pm
Molenaar's last communication is a text to his brother Hans: "You are a choice brother. Love you always".
* * *
1.28pm
A single gunshot is heard from the house. There is no contact from him from this point onwards.
* * *
5pm
A further attempt to retrieve Mr Snee's body. Police use two of the Army's light armoured vehicles.
A number of shots are heard but police say these are tear gas canisters fired into the house.
There is no reaction from Molenaar.
Mr Snee's body is retrieved. A witness says the bomb disposal robot is used.
* * *
Late evening
Police believe Molenaar is dead but do not want to approach the house in the dark because of fears it is booby-trapped. On Television New Zealand's Close Up, eastern district commander Superintendent Sam Hoyle is asked whether the gunman is dead and replies, "Jan is still at the address, we can't confirm his status right now".
* * *
10.30pm
Police reach Mr Diver's police van and find his dog Fi alive. Again, no reaction from the house.
* * *
SATURDAY MAY 9
Early morning
Police use "controlled explosions" so they can see inside the house, but cannot blow through some barricaded parts to where Molenaar's body is.
* * *
10am
Mr Hoyle says Molenaar's death has not been confirmed: "Until his status is confirmed he is alive and dangerous."
* * *
11am
Police send five-person "final entry team" into the house.
* * *
11.53am
Police get into the barricaded bedroom at the back of the house and confirm that Molenaar is dead. They leave immediately because of booby-traps and explosives.
* * *
12pm
A witness within the cordon says "it's over" as a police officer is walking openly on the street outside Molenaar's house and the Army armoured vehicle is pointing in towards the driveway.
* * *
12.15pm
Police publicly announce Molenaar is dead.
* Fact v Fiction
Details released by the police yesterday make it clear that the Weekend Herald's front-page report on Saturday was right.
Despite widespread claims in other media on Saturday morning that we were wrong and Jan Molenaar was still alive, it is clear that he died on Friday afternoon.
His last communications with his partner and brother were just after 1pm, and a single gunshot was heard at 1.28pm.
From that time there was no further sign of life from the house through phone contact or shooting. As the Herald correctly reported, the police believed him to be dead.
