Bravery awards: Courage in the line of fire

Lenny Holmwood, who has only recently returned to fulltime work, sees the loss of life in Jan Molenaar's siege as 'a bloody waste'. Photo / APN

When Lenny Holmwood stepped in to save two wounded police officers from gunman Jan Molenaar, he was acting out of obligation to "try to talk a mate down".

"There wasn't time to think. It was only afterwards I started thinking. If I had walked away I would have been just as guilty [as Molenaar]."

Having seen the two officers in the open and defenceless with gunshot injuries inflicted by Molenaar, Mr Holmwood took it upon himself to try to reason with his enraged friend and then attempted to wrestle the gun off him. He was no match for the much bigger man.

After being thrown to the ground, Molenaar then turned on Mr Holmwood, shooting him through his left leg, with the bullet deflecting off his pelvis and exiting out his left backside.

"A lot of severe French went flying," Mr Holmwood said.

"I knew I was stuffed because I couldn't get up and walk."

It was enough of a distraction for wounded senior constables Grant Diver and Bruce Miller to scramble to cover. Mr Holmwood crawled to another wounded officer, Senior Constable Len Snee, to try to help. But Mr Snee did not survive the gunshot injuries he suffered.

Mr Holmwood - the Herald's New Zealander of the Year in 2009 for his courageous actions - is among 14 people now being recognised for their bravery in the armed siege in May 2009. Mr Holmwood has received the New Zealand Bravery Star.

A friend to Molenaar up until the shooting, Mr Holmwood was visiting Molenaar's Napier home when police came to carry out a search for cannabis. Police were unaware an aggravated Molenaar had access to an arsenal of 18 guns including military-style semi-automatics.

Mr Holmwood saw Molenaar shoot the three police officers as they were leaving his home, and then hone in on them again.

The citation reads: "Mr Holmwood's outstandingly brave actions prevented Mr Molenaar from firing further shots at the wounded police officers, giving them valuable time in which to seek cover and relative safety. In doing so he sustained potentially life-threatening injuries. Even when wounded, he attempted to provide assistance to another wounded police officer who lay nearby".

Molenaar ended up taking his own life after an armed siege lasting more than 24 hours.

Looking back on it now, Mr Holmwood sees the loss of life as a "bloody waste".

"My thoughts haven't changed much - I've said that from day one, basically. I would probably still do the same thing again."

He doesn't like being labelled a hero. But he still feels it is a "great honour" to be recognised.

The actions of the police officers who got him to safety under fire after he had been shot were "miraculous", Mr Holmwood said. "They are real heroes, those guys."

The police officers involved in the siege declined to be interviewed individually, but speaking on their behalf, eastern district police commander Superintendent Sam Hoyle said: "Our staff who have received these awards feel very humbled and honoured.

"Each one of them acted without hesitation in a highly dangerous situation. They put their own lives in danger to help their colleagues and members of the public. There can be no higher honour given to each of them," Mr Hoyle said.

"I know that all our award recipients are reluctant to be singled out for praise. They emphasise that it was a 'team effort' that ensured a successful outcome on the day.

"They all very much feel a part of that team and acknowledge that there were others who also did amazing things during the siege."

Mr Holmwood said the ongoing pain of his gunshot injuries was a constant reminder of the siege, but he has been back at fulltime work for about six weeks now.

He is working in Hastings as a box-maker, storeman and machinist.

"It's a routine again. It fills my days in."