Senior Constable Scott Carmody, NZBD, for an act of exceptional bravery in a situation of danger
On 15 March 2019 Senior Constable Scott Carmody and a colleague were at a firearms training exercise day in Christchurch, when they were made aware of the shooting at Al Noor Mosque.
Shortly before 1.40pm, a lone gunman commenced an attack targeting two mosques in Christchurch: Al Noor Mosque on Deans Avenue and The Linwood Islamic Centre on Linwood Avenue.
The gunman, armed with semi-automatic shotguns and assault rifles, with several hundred rounds of ammunition, had shot dead 51 people and wounded a further 89 people, many seriously, during his attacks on the two Mosques.
Senior Constable Carmody and his colleague, both experienced officers, considered the gunman’s options and made their way by patrol vehicle, armed with Police-issued weapons, to what they believed would be his possible exit from the city.
The officers observed a vehicle matching the description of the gunman’s vehicle weaving through traffic on a busy residential street, and began to follow it.
The gunman’s vehicle stopped at a set of red traffic lights and once traffic started moving again, Senior Constable Carmody and his colleague identified a window of opportunity to stop the vehicle and prevent the gunman inflicting further loss of life or injury.
Senior Constable Carmody and his colleague intentionally collided with the target vehicle and positioned themselves to take immediate response action.
The impact shunted the target vehicle and jammed the front of the Police vehicle into the driver's side, and the officers quickly exited vehicle with their weapons at the ready.
Senior Constable Carmody took up a position at the rear passenger side door of the gunman’s vehicle with his service weapon pointed at the gunman.
The other officer was also covering the gunman from the front of the patrol car.
They observed two firearms across the front passenger's seat and near the gunman's lap, and saw that the gunman was wearing a bullet-proof vest with a large knife attached.
The officers decided to remove the gunman via the rear of the vehicle.
Senior Constable Carmody’s colleague moved to the rear of the gunman’s vehicle and opened the hatch, observing a number of full petrol containers, arranged in a configuration that appeared to be intended as an improvised explosive device.
Senior Constable Carmody covered his colleague, who forcibly removed the gunman from the vehicle.
Both officers then dragged him a short distance away, handcuffing and securing him in the process.