A harrowing video shows the shocking moments before and after a Tauranga hostage-taker was shot and killed by police on Sunday.
Police were called to the Bellevue property at 12:25am on Sunday after the man threatened his partner with a knife then took children hostage.
With "grave concerns" for the children's safety growing due to the heat inside the house and lack of food and water, police entered the property shortly after 3pm.
There, they say they were confronted by the man holding a knife to the chest of a child. The man was shot by police and died at the scene.
This moment was filmed by a nearby eyewitness. As the witnesses rushed for the fence, the air was torn by multiple consecutive loud gunshots.
The armed offenders squad then ran out of the home, carrying in their arms the children taken hostage.
"Good job guys… good job fellas," one witness said, before being ordered to retreat to safety by police.
The two children who had been kept hostage were taken to hospital, but are safe and uninjured.
Speaking after the incident, Superintendent Andy McGregor said police stand by their decision to shoot the man.
"He was behaving irrationally right throughout the day, he threatened a woman who had to leave the house throughout the night.
"It's sad, but there's no other option, we had to get those kids out of that house safely."
The Independent Police Conduct Authority is investigating.
