Coroner: Shooting of Shargin Stephens was ‘preventable’, slams police actions

Coroner Mike Robb determined that Shargin Atarea Stephens, armed with a slasher and wrench, was not attempting to harm police when he was shot twice in the stomach by a probationary officer in Rotorua in 2016. Although he was trying to escape and made a move towards the officer, he did not charge or swing the weapon at anyone, indicating he was not seeking to engage physically.

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