Thousands of wellwishers are expected to watch as family, friends and fellow officers of slain Senior Constable Len Snee today farewell the Napier Senior Constable at his funeral.
It is six days since former territorials marksman Jan Molenaar shot Mr Snee dead and critically injured three others, sparking a two-day
gun siege on Chaucer Rd in Napier's Hospital Hill.
It is not yet known whether Senior Constable Grant Diver, who is in a stable condition at Hawkes Bay Regional Hospital, will attend today's service.
However, allowances have been made for ambulance parking out the back of the venue.
Mr Diver's colleague, Senior Constable Bruce Miller, remains in a critical condition and injured civilian Leonard Holmwood is listed as serious.
Police are expecting thousands to attend the traditional police funeral at Napier's Municipal Theatre and have cordoned off two blocks of the central city to allow for the influx of people.
High-ranking senior officers from across the Tasman have flown over to pay homage to their fallen Kiwi comrade and police stations around New South Wales are flying their flags at half-mast today as a sign of respect.
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione told the Herald that New Zealand was a close neighbour and its officers were considered part of Australia's wider policing family.
"The loss to the New Zealand Police resonates through to our serving members in New South Wales and I have sent Assistant Commissioner Frank Menilli to New Zealand to represent the NSW Police Force."
Mr Menilli will be one of eight police representatives attending from different Australian states.
Prime Minister John Key, Police Minister Judith Collins and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples will also pay tribute, along with several Opposition MPs and local mayors.
Yesterday in Parliament MPs bowed their heads for a minute's silence, after which the Prime Minister paid tribute to Mr Snee for making the "ultimate sacrifice" in the line of duty.
Former All Black and long-time mate of Mr Snee, Norm Hewitt, is also attending the funeral.
Today's service is being held at the Napier Municipal Theatre because it can seat up to 990 people.
It will be a traditional police ceremony with family members carrying the coffin in and police forming a guard of honour as it leaves the theatre.
A number of police dogs have also been brought in for the ceremony.
The service will be broadcast outside for members of the public to watch and listen to.
Last night officers from around the nation arrived in Napier and hotels were close to booked out.
Scenic Circle Te Pania Hotel had about 20 rooms booked for officers from New Zealand and Australia and Quest Napier Serviced Apartments had about 30 rooms booked for police.
Local businesses paid their respects to Mr Snee and to Napier Police as a whole.
At Guru Hair Sculptors on Tennyson Street, a sandwich board outside read: "Our thoughts go out to the Snee family and to the bravery of New Zealand Police".
Down the road at Cafe Divine, "The Heroes of Hospital Hill" was posted on the door.
* Fact v Fiction
Details released by the police yesterday make it clear that the Weekend Herald's front-page report on Saturday was right.
Despite widespread claims in other media on Saturday morning that we were wrong and Jan Molenaar was still alive, it is clear that he died on Friday afternoon.
His last communications with his partner and brother were just after 1pm, and a single gunshot was heard at 1.28pm.
From that time there was no further sign of life from the house through phone contact or shooting. As the Herald correctly reported, the police believed him to be dead.
