Auckland Cemetery Scene Of Siege (Press, 30 January 1984)

On 30 January 1984, a violent incident unfolded in Auckland when a gunman attacked civilians and police, resulting in multiple injuries. The chaos initiated at approximately 1.15 a.m. on Karangahape Road, where the assailant fired at five civilians with a shotgun, wounding them. The situation escalated as police arrived to respond to the emergency. The gunman, donning camouflage attire and blackened face, retreated to an old cemetery equipped with a shotgun and a .303 rifle. Among the first police officers on the scene were Constable Grant Bradford and Sergeant Murray Morrisey. As they approached, they were targeted by the gunman's barrage of shotgun fire, leading to injuries for both officers: Constable Bradford sustained wounds above one eye and on his arm, while Sergeant Morrisey was hit in the right shoulder. Following the initial attack, the gunman attempted to shoot at a police vehicle at the Symonds Street-motorway off-ramp, but without success. He then moved to an Upper Queen Street carpark, where he fired at another parked police car, causing damage and minor injuries to one officer from flying debris. Detective Inspector A.B. Edwards reported that during the confrontation, the gunman announced his intention to surrender. The officers instructed him to emerge and disarm, leading to his eventual capture before the armed offenders squad could arrive. Earlier in the incident, witnesses noted that the gunman had hidden his weapons behind the cemetery wall and briefly interacted with a transvestite, who also suffered injuries from the gunfire. Among the victims was Damien Makiiti, who was celebrating his twenty-first birthday when he was struck by pellets while attending a gathering in a takeaway bar. Although he initially mistook the gunfire for firecrackers, he soon realised he had been shot and required hospital treatment for multiple wounds on his body, with pellets expected to remain lodged for several weeks. Another victim, a taxi driver, also sustained leg injuries from the gunfire while driving in the area. In the aftermath, police conducted a search at a flat in Mount Wellington, where they found weapons and related literature. A 19-year-old unemployed man from the same suburb was later charged with attempted murder in connection with the shootings. The day’s events highlighted a severe incident of public violence and raised concerns about safety, prompting investigations and discussions about law enforcement responses to such attacks.

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