this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2025
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Police shooting: Coroner rules Shargin Stephens' death was 'preventable' (www.rnz.co.nz)
submitted 4 days ago by Dave@lemmy.nz to c/newzealand@lemmy.nz
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Shargin Stephens was shot dead by a police officer in July 2016. Photo: RNZ/Vinay Ranchhod

Police tactics in the fatal shooting of Shargin Stephens showed a disregard for the right to life, according to a scathing coroner's report.

A probationary officer in "a heightened emotional state" pushed his way past experienced officers and got "unnecessarily and dangerously close" to Stephens, who was holding a slasher after smashing up a police car, and shot him twice with an M4 rifle.

Coroner Michael Robb ruled the death, in July 2016, was preventable and his 207-page report painted a picture of police chaos on the day, including a lack of leadership and a failure to de-escalate the situation.

The coroner said that, a decade on, it appeared police have learned little from the shooting, and the officers involved were defensive when questioned and still don't believe they did anything wrong. Police, though, say many of the changes recommended by Robb have already been implemented.

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[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

One of the call outs in the report is a lack of leadership. If there was leadership on site at the time of this incident, the junior officer probably wouldn't have tried to take charge.

That to me points to something requiring training not something solved by moving people.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I read it as there were more senior/experienced officers there but they didn't correct the junior officer.

What is was trying to imply was that some officers shouldn't be (armed) on the front line. Ex-military especially.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 2 points 2 days ago

I read it as there were more senior/experienced officers there but they didn’t correct the junior officer.

Yes sorry I didn't mean leaders weren't present, but that they didn't show leadership.

What is was trying to imply was that some officers shouldn’t be (armed) on the front line. Ex-military especially.

There's an episode of The Rookie (or episodes or something, TBH I didn't pay too close attention my wife was watching it) where someone joins the police from the military and the training officer (why is also ex-military) is explaining to another officer basically that you are trained that there are you and enemies and enemies will try to kill you so and so on, and to become a police officer they need to be mentally reprogrammed to understand that call outs aren't to enemy combatants, they are to people who are fellow citizens who may have made bad choices but your job is to help them not kill them.

I can see that being a real issue for an ex military rookie joining the police.