Shoot; Don't Shoot - 60 Mins On Steven Wallace

Shoot; Don't Shoot

Correspondent: Kim Webby
Producer: Damien Comerford

The New Zealand Police investigation and report that justifies the shooting of Steven Wallace by Constable 'A' has been slammed by a US expert and by a former New Zealand police sergeant. They both say that when faced with the decision "Shoot; Don't Shoot" Constable 'A' made the wrong choice.

60 Minutes retained former Santa Monica police sergeant Frank Saunders to review the New Zealand Police report and the accounts of witnesses.

Saunders is a cop who also killed in the line of duty. However his attacker was armed and shot first.

What Frank Saunders has to say is controversial and disturbing, he believes the whole Waitara incident was totally avoidable and the subsequent investigation outrageous.

As a police sergeant, Saunders trained rookie officers on when to shoot and when to hold fire and he says if Constable A had followed his training correctly, Wallace wouldn't be dead.

60 Minutes reporter, Kim Webby talks to Saunders and to a former New Zealand police sergeant who backs Saunder's views.

Webby also puts the case to Superintendent Mark Lammas who stands by the Police report and the Constable who shot Steven Wallace.

[10/06/01]