Police News June 09.indd - New Zealand Police Association

New Zealand Police AssociationAct of bravery earns officerssecond highest Police awardBy Deb Stringer, Communications AssistantFending off a gun-wielding fellowUnited Nations (UN) police officer,while deployed in Timor Leste (EastTimor) on a peacekeeping mission twoyears ago, has earned two police officersthe second-highest Police award.Constable Elliot Hira and SergeantCameron Anderson received the silvermerit award recently from PoliceCommissioner Howard Broad. Theaward acknowledges acts of bravery bypolice officers.Both recipients were honoured toreceive the award but said it had been“a bit of a shock”.“I wasn’t expecting it as I had only putElliot’s name forward for it. I mustsay it was a nice surprise though,” MrAnderson said.Mr Hira was equally pleased. “It was anice honour,” he said.Recall of eventHira described the incident, whichhappened when both officers were offduty, as “crazy”.Hira said the drama had unfolded whenthe two were told that a fellow UnitedNations (UN) officer from Pakistan wasmaking threatening gestures with his gunat other officers in the main compound.“A group of UN officers rolled up andtold us that one of the officers had gonecrazy and was pointing his gun at fellowofficers.”“The group of officers were agitated andasked for our help so we decided to godown to the main compound to see ifwe could defuse the situation.”Hira said when they got there they weregreeted by a gun-wielding officer whowas “completely off the wall”.Cameron said he had talked to theofficer before and realised, ratherironically, that the officer was in Dili toteach firearms training.The New Zealand officers learnt thePakistani officer had just finishedholding the Egyptian Commanderhostage in his office.Making the moveAlthough neither Anderson nor Hirawere armed, they realised they weregoing to have to take control of thesituation as the other UN officers hadgone into hiding.“We just started to walk round andround with the guy trying to talk himinto putting the gun down, Hira said.“However, nothing he was saying wasmaking any sense so eventually we hadto make a move and that was whenCameron grabbed the gun out of hishands and I threw the guy to the groundand restrained him.”After it all happened everyone came• Tauranga’s Sergeant Cameron Anderson(left) and Hamilton’s Constable ElliotHira were awarded the silver merit awardafter fending off a gun-wielding fellowUN officer while on deployment in TimorLeste.out of hiding looking very relieved,Anderson said.HindsightIn hindsight, Hira said he felt a “bitangry” as he realised the incident couldhave played out very differently.Anderson described the incident as areal “eye opener” in how poorly trainedsome UN officers were.“It amazed me that some officers seemedto lack the basic skills needed to dotheir job and this became very apparentwhen the incident broke out.”Despite this, both officers said theywould do it all again if they had to.“When you are faced with somethinglike that, you just have to do what youhave to do,” Hira said.“It’s just what us Kiwis do,” Andersonadded.“The world is very different now. For man holds in hismortal hands the power to abolish all forms of humanpoverty, and all forms of human life.”- John F Kennedy.“I am responsible. Although I may not be able to preventthe worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitudetoward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Badthings do happen; how I respond to them defines mycharacter and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit inperpetual sadness, immobilised by the gravity of my loss,or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the mostprecious gift I have – life itself.”- Walter Inglis Anderson (American painter).“You don't know who is important to you until you actuallylose them.”- Mahatma Gandhi (Indian spiritual,political and humaniatarian leader).Our heartiestcongratulations go to StevenPye and Michael Tod who were the winnersof the two sets of double passes in ourSKYCITY Cinemas movie competition, whichwas in last month’s issue.June 2009129