June 19 (UPI) -- Police in New Zealand said a manhunt is underway for a suspect who fatally shot a police officer and seriously injured another in a shooting that erupted while they were attempting to perform a routine traffic stop on Friday morning.
"This is devastating news and absolutely the worst thing for us to have to deal with," Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said during a press briefing. "We have lost a colleague and friend."
Coster said the deceased officer's name will be withheld as they notify his family. He is the first officer to be killed in the line of duty since 2009.
The officers were attempting to pull over a vehicle at around 10:30 a.m. when it drove off. They lost sight of the vehicle but soon located it after it crashed into a second vehicle, Coster said in a statement later Friday.
A man then emerged from the crashed car with a long-barreled gun and opened fire on the approaching officers, striking both of them before jumping into a different vehicle, a silver Mazda sedan, and fleeing the scene.
A bystander was also injured when his vehicle was struck by the first car, Coster said.
Both the injured officer, who was shot in the leg, and the bystander have been hospitalized, Coster said.
Coster told reporters that there was nothing about the traffic stop to have suggested violence would erupt, stating it was "the type of work that our officers undertake every day to keep the public safe."
"The incident points to the real risks officers face as they go about their job every day," he said. "Our whole organization is in a state of shock because of this event."
Two people were in the suspect's vehicle, he told reporters, declining to say whether it was the passenger or the driver who produced the gun that was used on the officers.
Officers in pursuit of the suspect will be armed, he said.
Police have located the silver sedan abandoned near the crime scene, recovered a firearm and were speaking with two people of interest, he said.
Waitemata District Commander Naila Hassan said in a statement a large police presence is searching for the suspect and cordons have been put in place and schools have been advised to lock down.
Massey High School confirmed it has followed lockdown procedures and said all staff and students are within school buildings.
"Please be aware that the incident IS NOT in close proximity to the school and this is a precautionary measure only," the school said in a statement on its website.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called news of the shooting "devastating."
"To lose a police officer is to lose someone working for all of us, but also a family member, someone's loved one and friend," she said in a statement.
Police Minister Stuart Nash said he's spoken with the commissioner to ensure that he has all the resources needed.
"Massey has a strong community spirit and this will be frightening for the locals caught up in this," Nash said. "I urge members of the public to follow instructions from police and to keep themselves safe."
Paula Bennett, a local politician, tweeted she could hear police helicopters from her home, and that she was praying for no one else to be hurt.
"Our local West Auckland police are the best I've ever known. A love for their community, a real desire to protect and serve," she said. "There are no words to express my sincere sadness as they and their families deal with the worst possible event."
Gun violence is relatively low in New Zealand compared to other countries but it has been on the rise. In 2019, there were 3,540 instances where a suspect was found in possession of a weapon, which was the highest tally since 2009, according to public broadcaster Radio New Zealand.
Last summer, New Zealand initiated a gun buy-back program after a gunman killed 51 people at two mosques during a shooting in Christchurch in March 2019.
Since 1890, 22 officers have been fatally shot while on duty in New Zealand with 15 officers injured by gunfire since 2002, according to a statement from the New Zealand government.
