Tear gas was not an option when an armed police team moved into a house at the centre of a siege near Kawerau a year ago, a court has been told.
Police at the scene of the siege near Kawerau last year. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Four officers were shot and wounded after entering the house during a nearly 24-hour siege in a house near Kawerau in March last year.
Rhys Warren, 28, is on trial in the High Court in Hamilton on charges including two counts of attempted murder, and one of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Senior Sergeant Denton Grimes, the head of the Bay of Plenty Armed Offenders Squad at the time, told the jury using tear gas did not meet the threshold, as it was not known who or how many people might have been in the house.
He said a decision was made to send in an armed team to clear the property instead.
Under cross examination, Mr Grimes said it was unknown if the shots heard at the property by officers carrying out a cannabis operation at the time were fired at the police or not.