Mark Mitchell on NZ Police shootings

Mark Mitchell wrote on Facebook:

Whilst a Police Officer in Rotorua my colleagues and I were confronted with a similar situation as the one Rotorua Police staff were confronted with yesterday. At the forefront of a Police Officers decision making process often while events are unfolding quickly is always Public safety. An offender armed with a machete and high on drugs could kill or inflict serious injury on an unsuspecting member of the Public very quickly. On the face of it the Officers involved acted quickly, professionally and with courage to ensure no member of the Public was killed or seriously injured.

In relation to the way our Media report these incidents. I acknowledge that headlines sell papers, but the type of headline like the one below is not helpful when considering the type of stress and tension we are currently witnessing in the U.S.

I am proud of our NZ Police service. Having trained and worked with Law Enforcement agency’s globally I have no doubt we have one of the best trained and most professional Police Services in the World.

In my own electorate of Rodney, when I don’t see them in a Police Uniform, I see them on school boards of trustees, administrating sports clubs, surf clubs, Lions clubs, volunteering at locals events, running programmes for youth In their own time, and just getting on and raising their family’s.

Their children, mothers, fathers, husbands wives , Friends and community’s deserve better than a headline like this.

The headline Mitchell was referring to was “Police ‘cold blooded killers’ – girlfriend”. Why they give such prominence to her views, when they are not backed by any evidence, is of course about selling papers or clickbait.

His post has gone viral, being shared 285 times and viewed around 100,000 times.