Focus: A man was shot dead early Monday morning after wielding a machete on Central Ave, Papatoetoe. Video / Supplied
The man shot by police after he rampaged through a Papatoetoe street with a machete fought with his brother about a contentious family property back home in Fiji shortly before the deadly incident.
Hitesh Navin Lal, 43, moved to Auckland several years ago from Ba in Fiji.
But whilehe carved out a new life for himself here, he was reportedly troubled by what was happening at a property he owned back home.
Lal was shot dead by police in the early hours of Sunday after he stormed down Central Ave in Papatoetoe with a machete, damaging cars and property.
A man was shot dead early Monday morning after wielding a machete on Central Ave, Papatoetoe. Photo / Dean Purcell
When police arrived he was trying to smash his way into a home where a couple and young children were inside, terrified.
The Herald has learned Lal was only about 300m from his home when he was fatally shot.
It is understood he moved to Auckland in 2017.
Property records show he bought a property with a woman in New Windsor the same year.
The woman still owns the property but Lal's name no longer appears on the title. It is understood she is his ex-wife and the mother of his young daughter.
Raja said Lal would become "upset" every time the property was mentioned.
Hours before his death Lal called his cousin and asked to have a drink.
Raja refused, citing the rules of the national Covid-19 lockdown and saying the pair should be "staying in our respective bubbles".
The scene at Central Ave, Papatoetoe where police shot a man dead early this morning. Photo / Dean Purcell
"What I know from what happened after that phone call is that Hitesh started drinking in his house and had a heated argument with his half-brother again," he said.
"A little later, Hitesh got agitated and started smashing things inside the house.
"In a fit of rage, he picked a machete as well to which his partner living with him asked him to leave the house.
"Once outside the house, he started smashing the machete on to parked cars, windows and tried cutting the power lines as well."
Raja is yet to respond to the Herald.
He found out about the death of his "good companion" when he woke on Sunday morning.
"I went to sleep and my mother woke me in the morning to say Hitesh was no more," he told the Indian Weekender. As Lal smashed his way down the street with the weapon 13 people called 111 to report him.
Lal also called 111 himself.
He told police that he had a knife and would kill anyone he came across.
