8/4/07

Steven Wallace: Coroner's report released




white wash, brown wash Steven Wallace was murdered by the pigs just
like Paul Chase and many others before him. Haere Atu Poaka!!!!


"3.5 The key to that historic context is that the Police exist to
enforce the will of the State, and that when the Force was established
in this country that will was to dispossess Maori. The Police culture
that developed in that context therefore saw Maori not just as
criminals, but as enemies of the State.

3.6 The will of the State was particularly enforced in Taranaki, and
the sacking of Parihaka was carried out by the "armed constabulary" as
part of a process to subordinate Maori to the authority of the Crown.
That will was obviously political, but it was also cultural because it
was sourced in an essentially racist view that Maori needed to be made
subject to the values and institutions of a "superior" people. The
Police as an organisation helped shape, and was shaped by, that culture.

3.7 As a result a tension was established between the Police and Maori
that was exacerbated rather than minimised when the State withdrew
from military conflict with Maori. Indeed as Maori society was
impoverished by the consequences of colonial dispossession Maori
ceased to be the "rebels" and became instead the poor who seemed to
fill the jails as criminals. The tensions between the Police and Maori
took on a new form, but they remained."


http://www.apc.org.nz/pma/smoana.htm



two corporate spin stories below ...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10455677

Coroner criticises action of police officers in Waitara shooting

3 August 2007

The two police officers at the scene of the fatal shooting of Waitara man Steven Wallace should have formulated a plan before approaching him, Hamilton District Court Coroner Gordon Matenga said today.

Wallace, after breaking a number of shop windows and brandishing a golf club and a baseball bat, was fatally shot in April 2000 by police in Waitara.

Mr Matenga's inquest findings, seven years after the incident, were delayed due to a murder trial brought against Senior Sergeant Keith Abbott.

Mr Abbott was acquitted of the charge.

The coroner's findings released today detailed the circumstances surrounding Wallace's death, examined police policy in dealing with violent offenders and looked at what first aid care was given to Wallace after the shooting.

On the evening of April 29, 2000, Wallace had driven into the Waitara township after an argument with his sister and father. He had previously been drinking at a local nightclub.

Once back in town, Wallace proceeded to smash a number of shop windows with a golf club.

Mr Abbott arrived at the scene about the same time as Constable Jason Dombroski and Constable Herbert in another police car.

Mr Abbott then saw Wallace smash the windscreen and side window of Mr Dombroski and Ms Herbert's car - at which stage Mr Dombroski asked police communications to tell Mr Abbott to arm himself.

Both officers subsequently retrieved guns from the police station while Ms Herbert observed Wallace.

During this time the officer's commanding officer, Sergeant Fiona Prestidge, had left the command centre in New Plymouth to get to the scene and had ordered a dog team to get to the area.

Mr Dombroski knew the dog team was on its way, but failed to tell Mr Abbott.

Both officers approached Wallace who threw the golf club at Mr Abbott, which missed him. At the time he was threatening to kill Mr Abbott.

While Wallace was closing in on Mr Abbott, Mr Abbott fired a warning shot and then a fatal shot at Wallace. He died in hospital a short time later.

- NZPA

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200708031916/coroner_critcises_police_over_wallace_shooting

Coroner critcises police over Wallace shooting

03 Aug 2007

A coroner has criticised three Taranaki police over the shooting of Waitara man Steven Wallace in the town's main street seven years ago.

His findings, released on Friday, show that the officers involved showed a lack of leadership and did not properly plan their approach.

Mr Wallace was advancing on Constable Keith Abbot with a baseball bat, threatening to kill him, when the officer shot him in April 2000.

The 23-year-old died of a heart attack four-and-a-half hours later.

Coroner Gordon Matenga has found that the three officers' lack of leadership or command in responding to Mr Wallace was a result of their own performance rather than a failure of police procedures.

However, he recommends a review of police dog policies.

Two years ago, Mr Matenga investigated whether police followed proper procedure and offered enough medical help.

He did not determine whether police used excessive force, saying a jury in the Wallace family's private murder prosecution decided the degree of force was not unreasonable given the circumstances Mr Abbott believed he faced.

Central district police commander, Superintendent Mark Lammas, says things could have been done differently, but it was Mr Wallace who dictated the events of that night

Mr Lammas says a Police Complaints Authority report is still to be released, but there will be no disciplinary action against the officers.

Copyright © 2007 Radio New Zealand

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