The man shot dead by police on a Bell block golf course yesterday, Saturday 8th June 2013 was friends with Steven Wallace, also shot and killed by police in Waitara in 2000. Adam Te Rata Charles Morehu, 33, had fired a shot and threatened to kill police officers responding to a burglar alarm at Bell Block’s New Plymouth Golf Club early yesterday. Police returned fire, hitting Morehu, who died at the scene. Yesterday’s was the 11th fatal shooting of civilians by police in the past 20 years. Morehu was no stranger to police. Three years ago he was in court admitting to being a heavy user of cannabis as well as a low-level dealer, and was sentenced to 12 months’ home detention. In a sad twist, the dead man’s mother mrs Tania Bailey had died a few weeks ago. She was a community leader in Waitara. She died on May 5th 2013 after she had a brain aneurism. For a more detailed report, buy the Herald on Sunday newspaper. the front page, and pages 2 and 3 are well worth reading.
