The value of family is one lesson an Upper Hutt man drew from a fatal police shooting.
Michael Riley has been awarded the New Zealand Bravery Decoration for evacuating patrons out of a McDonald's in 2015 as a man with a firearm roamed.
Mr Riley, a staff member, was in the back office of the restaurant on Main and Wakefield Streets in Upper Hutt on September 8, 2015 when a man came to the counter with a rifle.
Mr Riley went to the counter, and the gunman pointed the rifle at him and demanded everyone leave the building, firing a shot into the ceiling.
Mr Riley kept his cool, and asked the gunman for permission to usher staff and customers out of the building. The gunman told him to hurry up or he'd shoot.
Mr Riley rounded up everyone and made sure they were safely outside, before checking the toilets and playground and using a road cone to block the drive-thru.
Mr Riley says trusting his instincts was the right move.
"I wanted him to focus on me so that way, people could get out of the building. I'm glad I didn't make the decision to try and challenge him, because it could have ended far worse."
Police say Mr Riley remained calm and "demonstrated exceptional bravery by engaging with the unpredictable gunman to ensure the safety of customers and staff".
He says he often thinks about the gunman's family.
"Being a father I'd have to go through that myself. I'm okay, but I feel for the family because they have to still deal with it. There's probably answers and stuff they'd like to know that they'll never get. I do think about that quite a bit."
Mr Riley, who now works in recruitment, was planning to leave his job before the situation unfolded.
"When I came back from holiday I had already put a plan in place that I was going to end up moving up...After the incident it just reaffirmed that yep, it was time to make a change."
An unnamed police officer, Officer S, was also honoured for his act of bravery at the scene.
Officer S challenged the gunman to surrender, but when the gunman raised his rifle at police, Officer S fatally shot him.
"Using lethal force is a last option, but the bravery shown by many police that day, in particular Officer S and Mr Riley was exceptional," said Police Commissioner Mike Bush.
The officer was awarded the New Zealand Bravery Medal.
Newshub.
