Shargin Stephens was shot dead by a police officer in July 2016. Photo: RNZ/Vinay Ranchhod

Police tactics in the fatal shooting of Shargin Stephens showed a disregard for the right to life, according to a scathing coroner’s report.

A probationary officer in “a heightened emotional state” pushed his way past experienced officers and got “unnecessarily and dangerously close” to Stephens, who was holding a slasher after smashing up a police car, and shot him twice with an M4 rifle.

Coroner Michael Robb ruled the death, in July 2016, was preventable and his 207-page report painted a picture of police chaos on the day, including a lack of leadership and a failure to de-escalate the situation.

The coroner said that, a decade on, it appeared police have learned little from the shooting, and the officers involved were defensive when questioned and still don’t believe they did anything wrong. Police, though, say many of the changes recommended by Robb have already been implemented.