By PRESS REPORTERS with NZPA – The Press

LATEST: Police will be given greater access to guns following the shooting of two officers and a dog in Christchurch today.

Police commissioner Howard Broad said there were “a small number of violent people in our society” and the officers were the ninth killed or injured by firearms in recent years.

“We are moving at some pace to try and increase the level of accessibility of weapons to our police officers,” he said.

Police were looking to provide officers with weapons at “much closer proximity” he said.

“My expectation is that there will be weapons immediately available to the officers. We are going to provide our officers with greater accessibility to weapons,” said Broad.

Police Minister Judith Collins said the incident highlighted what a “dangerous and tough” job it was to be police officer.

“I am happy for the commissioner to come up with some plans as to what can be done (about arming officers),” she said.

“It’s very serious, but it’s also very important we give the protection we can to police.” Broad said he hoped to have a new policy “described and on the way to implementation” by Christmas.

Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Dave Cliff said the two officers who had been shot were senior constable Bruce Lamb, 51, a dog handler, the second was Constable Mitchel Alatalo, 39.

Lamb was undergoing surgery after being shot through the jaw, which was shattered in four places. Alatalo was shot in the thigh left but the bullet has passed though the leg.

“The bullet has come very close to the femoral artery if that had hit that the results coud have been tragic,” said Cliff.

Police believed the dog had been shot. “It seems the dog has actually given up its life to protect its handler,” said Cliff.

A six-year-old german shepherd police dog, Gage, died at the scene.

Canterbury police district commander, Superintendent Dave Cliff, who was visibly upset, said the officer was shot today at an address in Phillipstown after a routine visit from police trying to track down a psychiatric patient.

Police arrived at an address in Buccleugh St and smelled cannabis.

After a search of the property, one person was taken into custody. A second person remained in the house.

The two injured officers were shot inside the house, but managed to get out and were taken to hospital.

A .22 and a .308 rifle were found at the property. A bullet passed through the face of the 51-year-old officer.

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