Police seize gun collector's firearms in 'over the top' raid
Police seize gun collector's firearms in 'over the top' raid
A community-minded contractor who dug the mass grave for victims of the mosque shootings for free says police went "way over the top" in raiding his house to seize his 11 firearms.
The colourful figure – who asked not to be named for security reasons but whose record of helping out people in the community and raising money is known to have endeared him to many – said about 30 police raided his west Christchurch block on April 2 about 5pm while he was still at work.
Some were Armed Offenders Squad members and others were in ordinary police uniform. A specialist search squad searched his house, outbuildings and a granny flat housing his 80-year-old mother.
"They even went through her underwear drawer. The worst thing was they pointed a rifle at my 12-year-old daughter who was picking up horse poo. They told her to put the fork down and walk towards them. She is still anxious and shaken. The whole family is."