Transcript
MAARA TETAVA: The goal was to get to him as quickly as we could. We did not want anybody else to go because of him and that remained our priority until we cornered him and where we found him.
ALEX PERROTTET: And you were happy with the way the police operation was conducted?
MT: Very happy. There are lessons, of course, for us to learn from this and we're working on that. As you would understand this event evolved very quickly and circumstances were changing as we went along and the lessons learned, as I said before, is being looked at at the moment and we're adapting and reviewing our standard operating procedures.
AP: We've been told the police on the scene didn't have bullet-proof vests during the shoot-out. Is that right?
MT: Correct. We didn't have any of those gears. We had firearms but didn't have any of the appropriate gears that we should have for these kind of operations. We operated with what we had and very happy with the outcome, very happy that no one else lost their lives.
AP: Sure and the attacker himself happened to take his own life in that shootout but did police storm the house to approach him?
MT: We had two attempts at infiltration. The first attempt, we weren't sure that he was in the house and that's when we received the hail of gunfire and then we regrouped and after a lengthy time of negotiation we weren't able to get any responses from inside the house. I approved the decision to go in and I went with my team into that house and found him where we found him.
AP: So he had taken his life before you had actually stormed the second time?
MT: Yes, I think I can definitely say that but there will be a post-mortem examination of the bodies and the outcome of that is yet to come out.
AP: We've received a bit of feedback that people across the island did not hear about the incident til much much later on and that the only info people had for many hours was a text message that apparently had come from the prime minister's office. So there's criticism that even just through Facebook the police could have been more vocal in their warnings for people to take care and stay in their homes. Do you take on that criticism?
MT: Yes, yes, most definitely my fault. As leader of the police service here, it's my fault that we didn't get to the public as quickly as we could but we did have Facebook entries that went on. I'm not quite sure as we speak as to what time we managed to get that online as well as radio and TV, but, as I said before, my top priority and the top priority of my team was to get to this person as quickly as we could.
AP: Yes, you were obviously highly involved in an important and I'd say unprecedented incident but should there be better police communications or someone put in charge of delivering that information which is pretty key for the public?
MT: Surely. I had two commanders, very senior officers, back at my command centre and they were in charge of that and, as I say, if we didn't get to the public as quickly as we should, my fault. I apologise for that. Mate, I'm shocked that this event in fact took place. Not in our paradise - we've never had this kind of thing happen before. I've been in the police service now for 31 years and this was the first time I've had to take my firearm out for an incident such as this and that shows how we've taken for granted how peaceful our place is. But it happened. It shouldn't have happened, but it did and my job and my team's job was to get to him as quickly as we could so that he doesn't take any more lives.
