Police officer shot dead in Auckland: Nearby preschool forced into lockdown

A preschool on Reynella Drive, Massey, was forced into lockdown during the emergency services response to a fatal cop shooting.

A male police officer died earlier today after he was shot on the same west Auckland road while trying to attend to a routine traffic stop.

Another officer was also shot and a pedestrian was run over by the fleeing driver following the incident, which took place around 10.30am.

The fatal shooting took place on Reynella Drive, Massey, near the preschool. Photo / Google

Teachers at Jolly Stars Early Learning Centre decided to bring everyone inside after police officers flooded the area, according to Meggie Ren.

"I think it was quite close," Ren, one of the teachers at the centre, said. "We saw the police going down the road quite fast.

"The helicopter was around and we saw heaps of police cars and decided to bring the children in the room.

"We decided to lock all the doors and pull all the curtains down. Then the police came to us and let us know that we needed to go under a lockdown procedure."

Armed police at the scene of a shooting incident on Reynella Drive. Photo / Michael Craig

The children played happily inside as if it were a rainy day, Ren said.

Once in lockdown, the centre texted the children's parents to let them know they had locked up but that they were all safe and well.

At around 3.05pm they were informed by the Ministry of Education it was all right to end the lockdown, Ren said.

Children and teachers alike were all doing fine following the incident, Ren said.

"We are alright, just followed the normal routine," she said. "Lots of parents have called in to see that all the staff and children are alright.

"In our procedures, if it's an emergency and it's needed, we might hide under the table but we didn't do that. It was not necessary.

"They [the children] were just playing inside with all the teachers ... They were playing nicely and were quite happy. It was just like a normal rainy day."

Ren didn't hear any gunshots before they entered the lockdown, however, Reynella Drive resident Elaine Taniela thought she did.

Taniela was at home when she heard three distinctive sounds she thought to be gunshots. "My dad was outside and heard them as well," she said.

Taniela's father's friend was headed to their house alongside Reynella Drive towards Triangle Rd at the time and saw an injured police officer.

"He said the cop was on his radio, hunched over and holding on to part of his body," another family member said.