The shooting of two police officers and the slaying of a police dog in Christchurch leads most of the papers on Wednesday.
NZ Herald
The New Zealand Herald leads with the shooting of two police officers and the slaying of a police dog.
Constable Mitchel Alatalo and dog handler Bruce Lamb were on what was supposed to be a routine door knock and felt comfortable enough to leave their tasers in the car.
The paper says a bullet passed through Senior Constable Lamb's jaw shattering it in four places, while Constable Atalao was shot in the thigh as he was trying to escape through a window.
In other news: Auckland Mayor John Banks has incurred an $11,523 flower bill in his current term.
Dominion Post
The Dominion Post also leads with the police shooting and says Police Commissioner Howard Broad expects a new firearm policy, giving more police guns, will be in place by Christmas.
Former world champion mountain runner Melissa Moon is now the 'queen of stair racing' and is in training for the 80 floor Sydney Tower race next week.
The Press
The whole front page of The Press is devoted to the police shooting in Christchurch. The paper says residents in the suburb where the shooting occurred, are already reeling from three violent deaths and several armed robberies in just over a year.
ODT
The Otago Daily Times leads with what it calls the 'coffee culture' at Dunedin City Council. Senior council managers have spent more than $500,000 on their council credit cards in the past three years.
The paper also reports there are catches in the Queenstown airport alliance with Auckland International Airport Ltd and says the council will have to sell more of Queenstown airport if it wants to see any of the promised $10 million.
