Police are standing by their decision to shoot a man dead inside his house in Tauranga while he was holding young children hostage with a machete.
However, some of the man's family claim they asked police before he was shot for an opportunity to talk him down - but their pleas were ignored.
After 14 hours, the harrowing ordeal came to an end on Sunday afternoon as police opened fire on the man who had barricaded himself inside a back section house in Bellevue.
A neighbour just metres away watched as armed offenders squad members escaped seconds later, carrying to safety the two young children the man had held hostage.
Just two hours later, police defended their actions in shooting the man.
"He was behaving irrationally right throughout the day, he threatened a woman who had to leave the house throughout the night," said Superintendent Andy McGregor.
"It's sad, but there's no other option, we had to get those kids out of that house safely."
But today some of the man's family told Newshub they asked police if they could help talk him down, but their pleas were ignored.
The grieving family returned to the house and blessed the man's body as it was removed from the scene at about 2pm on Monday.
Flowers have been left at the property to remember a life lost, and lives changed forever by the tragic events.
Police say they stand by their decision to shoot the man, who they say was holding a knife to the chest of one of the young children.
Their actions are now the centre of several investigations to determine if it was the right move.
