Gunman fires at police stopping retrieval of slain colleague

Gunfire has stymied attempts to retrieve Len Snee's body. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

A 51-year-old former territorial army member was still firing a high powered rifle sporadically at police officers who have surrounded his central Napier home tonight.

The volleys of gunfire have also stymied attempts by colleagues of Senior Constable Len Snee to retrieve his body from outside from the house of the gunman, identified by family members as Jan Molenaar.

Eastern District Commander Superintendent Sam Hoyle admitted tonight the gunman could stay holed up in his Chaucer Road house on Napier Hill for hours.

Mr Snee, 53, of Taradale police, was killed about 9.30am today while conducting an apparent low-risk cannabis operation.

His body was tonight still lying next to his police car outside the house.

Two other officers, Senior Constable Bruce Miller, 40, a community constable in the suburb of Ahuriri, and Senior Constable Grant Diver, 50, a dog handler, and a neighbour were wounded by gunshots and all were in a critical condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital's intensive care unit.

The three officers were married family men and veterans of the police force.

The shooting began shortly after the police officers arrived at the address, Mr Hoyle told Radio NZ.

Mr Diver was able to crawl to a neighbouring house where he telephoned the police station and the armed offenders squad came to his assistance.

Members of the public also came to the rescue of Mr Miller, Mr Hoyle said.

None of the officers had been armed.

About 30 officers tonight had contained the gunman in his home, but he was still firing at them.

Police had contacted him by phone and were attempting to negotiate with him.

Mr Hoyle said the gunman was very determined and it would appear that he intended to hang in for the long haul.

"That means we could be here all night. While we have him well contained and have got everyone out around his address who is in any immediate danger, this could take many hours to resolve."

The gunman had a high powered rifle that could shoot up to a kilometre away.

Police had also had reports that he had many rounds of ammunition and access to a number of weapons and explosives.

"Which we are taking seriously even though it is as yet unconfirmed."

However, Mr Hoyle said the risk to others living on Napier Hill was "quite low".

Civil Defence have set up a centre for evacuated residents to stay in while the siege continued and by 6pm 49 people had registered.

Mr Hoyle said the gunman was known to police, but only in a minor way.

"He was certainly not on our radar as a high risk offender. The job the police went to this morning was a very mundane low level cannabis operation."

A woman who was in the house at the time of the shootings was able to leave the property and was assisting police in their inquiries, Mr Hoyle said.

Mr Hoyle said fresh staff were arriving to take over from police who had been at the scene all day.

"It is a waiting game. We will continue with our tried and true tactics around these types of offenders and are confident it will be resolved without any more people being hurt."

Police Commissioner Howard Broad told media today that police had been attempting to recover Mr Snee from the scene without success.

"I understand a number of my officers have attempted to do so under direct fire from the house," he said.

"The fact we have got an officer we cannot get out from the situation, we cannot confirm finally that the man is dead is deeply distressing.

"He is in a position where we can say with reasonable certainty that he must be dead, but no one has been able to get there close to him and check that."

Jan Molenaar's mother Anna told TVNZ current affairs programme Close Up she was sorry for her son's actions.

"I just want to apologise to the police who have been shot and those who are injured and in hospital and all the trouble."

Mrs Molenaar said she was having difficulty understanding why her son apparently had chosen to shoot at the officers.

"What was he trying to protect? That's what I want to know. A silly marijuana plant?"

A friend of Molenaar told NZPA he styled himself on Sylvester Stallone's Rambo film character and could have rigged his house with explosives.

The friend said Molenaar had been out walking his dog this morning when he returned to find the police executing their search warrant.

A confrontation ensued and Molenaar retrieved a high-powered gun and began shooting, the friend said.

He said the 51-year-old was a "dab hand" with guns and explosives and police were cautious about entering the house as it could be booby-trapped.

- NZPA