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The officer shot dead in a drugs bust in Napier yesterday was "dedicated to everything he did", his family said today.
Senior Constable Len Snee, 53, was fatally shot when he approached the Chaucer Road house with two colleagues in what started off as a low-key drugs raid.
Senior Constable
Bruce Miller, 40, a community constable in the suburb of Ahuriri, dog handler Senior Constable Grant Diver, 50, and a neighbour were wounded by gunshots.
All are in a critical condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital's intensive care unit.
In a statement read out by colleague and friend Stan Tristram on behalf of the Snee family this afternoon, Mr Snee was described as a "wonderful husband, father and brother".
"We are struggling to come to terms with what has happened. We know we have some difficult times ahead," Mr Tristram read.
Political leaders pay tribute
Prime Minister John Key and Labour Party leader Phil Goff earlier expressed their condolences to Mr Snee's family.
"It is at times like this that our country is reminded of the risks our police officers take every day to protect the public," Mr Key said.
"Their job is a dangerous one and the events in Napier yesterday, which continue to unfold today, are a stark reminder of that."
Mr Key said he was receiving updates on the condition of all three wounded.
Mr Goff said he and his Labour Party colleagues were stunned and deeply saddened by news of Mr Snee's death.
"He was an extremely well-respected and well-liked police officer and family man who put in more than 30 years of service to his community," he said.
"This tragic incident is the third time in less than a year a police officer has been killed while on duty...it serves as another reminder that every day the men and women of the New Zealand Police Force are on the front line and put their lives at risk on our behalf."
Minutes or days
Police are preparing for the siege to last for days, the officer in charge of the operation said this afternoon.
Superintendent Sam Hoyle told a media conference the "incredibly tense" situation could end in minutes or could go on for days.
He also revealed that a police dog in a van outside the scene is thought to be dead. She was a five-year-old German Shepherd.
He said communications with the gunman Jan Molenaar were ongoing, with negotiators both calling him and him calling officers.
Police are also speaking with Molenaar's friends and associates to try to better understand his motivations.
Mr Hoyle said Molenaar was a "complex character" and was prone to mood swings. He has a great deal of ammunition and has fired at police using more than one calibre of bullet indicating he has several weapons.
Mr Hoyle said he has at his disposal "every resource available to the new Zealand police". More than 100 officers, from both the North and South islands are now at the scene.
One of the Army's light armoured vehicles (LAV) and three police patrol cars headed to the scene of the stand-off about 1.45pm today.
An ambulance with paramedics also drove past the cordon and returned with the LAV just before 2pm carrying four people.
Evacuations
Civil Defence confirmed that 160 people had been evacuated from the area around the siege zone, 93 of whom stayed overnight at Napier Intermediate School, while others stayed with friends and family.
A number of residents living just outside the cordon, but still reasonably close to the scene, have been asked to stay in their homes. Three schools in the area are also closed today - Napier Central School, Nelson Park School, and Nelson Intermediate.
One resident still trapped in her house has not had any face-to-face contact with police and says she only has another day's worth of food.
Nikki Luke told Radio New Zealand that her father-in-law also needed medication.
She said that at about 11pm she had been phoned by police and told to "take cover" and stay away from the windows.
Ms Luke said the street lights were turned off and shots were fired.
She said four or five other residents are still in their houses in her street.
"We know that we're safe. We know that police are in the area," Ms Luke said.
An account has been set up for the families of the police officers involved in the Napier shooting. If you wish to give donations to the families of the victims, the details of the bank account to use are as follows:
Bank: Westpac
Account No: 03-0698-0544551-000
Account Name: Police Casualty Donation Account
- with NZ HERALD STAFF, NZPA
