INTERNATIONAL

New Zealand Police officer shot dead during routine stop

A police officer has been shot dead during a routine traffic stop in Auckland, New Zealand.

Another officer was seriously injured. The shooter fled the scene in a vehicle and it’s not known if he’s been caught.

Around four hours after the shooting, armed police stormed a house and arrested two men, local media said.

Police in New Zealand do not normally carry guns, and it is rare for officers to be killed in the line of duty.

According to the police, the last was in May 2009, when a senior constable was shot at a house in Napier while carrying out a routine search warrant.

A member of the public was hit by the suspect’s car in Massey and has minor injuries. Cordons are in place, and schools were told to lock down.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster confirmed the officers were not armed at the time.

“At this stage there is nothing to indicate that this job was going to be anything out of the ordinary,” he said.

“The incident points to the real risk that our officers face as they go about their jobs every day,” he added.

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