Price Whānau Relieved but Angry About IPCA Report

Kaoss Price's whānau welcomes the IPCA finding that the police officer’s fatal shooting of Kaoss on 16 April 2022 was unjustified. The IPCA found that “Officer A” shooting Kaoss at close range was an excessive use of force.  

Kaoss was only 22 at the time he was killed and has left behind his three children, his younger sister and brother, his parents, grandmother and wider whānau who are still grieving his loss.

Kaoss’ mother Jules Hana said the family has been waiting and hoping for justice for Kaoss. “It’s still hard, every day.”

Although the family are relieved the IPCA found that shooting and killing Kaoss was unjustified, they do not understand why there are no consequences for an unjustified killing.

Margaret Kennard, Kaoss’ grandmother, says it is not good enough. “We’re supposed to trust the police to uphold and enforce the law. They are not above it. We give them guns. They are killing our kids. The police investigated themselves and found they did nothing wrong. Now the IPCA says killing Kaoss was unjustified.

“So what am I supposed to think? IPCA said police weren’t justified in killing my boy, but nobody is being held accountable for gunning down an unarmed 22-year-old? Kaoss is dead. If it had been anybody else, not from the police, who killed him, they’d be in court for this. Why are the police allowed to kill?

“It feels like if you're not a cop you have to live in a world of laws, but the police get to live in another. Kaoss wasn’t an angel but he didn’t deserve to die like this. The police need to bloody well do something.”

Lawyers Christopher Stevenson KC and Julia Spelman who are acting for Kaoss’ whānau noted that as far as they can see, this is only the second time ever that IPCA has found a fatal police shooting to be unjustified and both times have recommended no further action.

The family are taking time to process the full report and consider their legal options.