By Ian Stuart of NZPA

Auckland March 2 NZPA - A police dog handler broke down in tears today as he told of the dramatic police pursuit through Auckland which ended in the death of an innocent teenage courier driver.

Constable Karl Pennington told an Auckland inquest he looked at 17-year-old Halatau Naitoko's face moments before he was accidentally shot dead by armed police on Auckland's north western motorway in January last year.

"He looked absolutely petrified," said Mr Pennington before his voice broke and he stopped for several moments, unable to continue as he wiped tears from his cheek.

He looked down, composed himself and continued after a long, emotional pause.

"His eyes were like saucers. I thought he was in pain," he read from his statement at the inquest before coroner Gordon Matenga.

Mr Pennington said he had been part of the police pursuit of Stephen Hohepa McDonald on to the northern motorway.

He said he was on annual leave at his home when his pager activated and he got into his gear, loaded his Glock pistol and headed towards the chase.

At one stage as McDonald reached speeds of 160kmh Mr Pennington was driving the lead police pursuit car.

The driving was at very high speed and at one stage McDonald stopped and reversed his car into his dog wagon causing minor damage.

Several other vehicles stopped nearby, including a white van and a white truck.

Mr Pennington said he got out of his police car and ran towards the offender with his Glock pistol in the "low and ready position.

"It looked like the offender was going to hijack the white van."

The van was being driven by Mr Naitoko.

Mr Pennington said he could not shoot.

"I knew I did not have a shot at him (McDonald) because the driver of the white van was in the way."

He then saw McDonald fall over before two armed offenders squad members pointed their rifles at McDonald and yelled at him.

"It was loud and he was being warned to drop the weapon."

McDonald jumped on the deck of the white truck.

"He appeared desperate."

Mr Pennington told the hearing he did not see the weapon but McDonald may have thrown it into the truck so he could use both hands to pull himself onto the deck.

He said he heard four shots in quick succession which sounded like they came from the same weapon.

They were not loud and sounded like "pop, pop, pop."

He and the two armed offenders squad members advanced with their guns pointed at McDonald who was lying prone on the deck of the truck.

He climbed onto the deck of the truck with his Glock pistol pointed at McDonald, before he put it away and knelt on the left side of McDonald, whom he told to put his hand out.

McDonald refused and continued to struggle violently even after he was handcuffed.

When he went to the white van he found other police officers dealing with the injured driver. He pulled up Mr Naitoko's shirt and found a small entry wound on the left side of his chest. There was little blood but a large pool of blood on the seat.

He put a field dressing on the wound and raised his legs to help with blood flow.

A short time later he was informed that Mr Naitoko had died.

At first he was under the impression that Mr Naitoko had been shot by McDonald.

He said McDonald was extremely dangerous, armed and desperate.

"I have no doubt if the offender had the opportunity to confront me direclty, he would have shot me."

Earlier this week the two armed offenders squad members gave their version of the incident behind closed doors with transcripts of their evidence yet to be released.

McDonald was jailed last year for 13 years on 23 charges.

The inquest continues tomorrow.