The family of a man killed by police have revealed he had recently been hospitalised for mental health treatment.
Jerrim Toms was shot at 12 times by police and four bullets hit his body, two in his chest, one on his hand and one on his back, Radio NZ reports.
He had been hospitalised and treated for bipolar disorder five weeks before the incident and his family says he was deeply afraid of police and being jailed.
He was discharged but remained on prescription medication, which his family says may have been influenced by recreational drugs the night he was killed.
On March 31 police were called to Mr Toms' Onehunga home by his mother to perform a welfare check after she was referred to there by mental health services.
"She didn't feel unsafe that he was going to hurt her. She just doesn't deal well when his mind doesn't work properly," Natasha Toms, Mr Toms' sister told Radio NZ.
When police arrived they found an empty house and Mr Toms' car missing so they took down his registration number to ensure they could keep an eye out for him.
Approximately 20 minutes later a police officer headed home from a shift noticed a car pulled over in SH1 north of Wellsford.
When he tried to help the driver pulled away, before stopping and brandishing a machete at the officer.
The officer then called for back-up and Mr Toms' car was stopped using road spikes at 3:50am.
According to officers' statements from the day after the spiking Mr Toms came towards them and shots were fired. First aid was delivered but he died at the scene.
His sister says she had a "bad feeling" when news broke of a 29-year-old man shot dead by police, which was confirmed when police told her mother later that day that Mr Toms was the man killed.
Newshub.
