Taree inquest into police shooting death of Todd McKenzie hears from former officer Glenn Larrain

A former officer who negotiated with a man in the hours before he was shot on the Mid-North Coast in 2019 has told an inquest he is an “offensive person” but did the best he could.

A former police officer who negotiated with Todd McKenzie in the hours before he was shot dead in a stand off with police in Taree in 2019 has told an inquest he is “an offensive person” but that he did everything he could to “keep him safe”.

“I am not a polite person, I am not a cuddly person, I am abrupt and I can be rude.”

Former senior constable Glenn Larrain took the stand at the inquest now underway into the death of Mr McKenzie who was believed to be suffering a schizophrenic episode at his home when he picked up a butcher’s knife and caused a police siege on July 31, 2019.

Mr Larrain spent about three-and-a-half hours negotiating with Mr McKenzie during the marathon nine hour siege which was eventually brought to an end when officers forced their way into his Robertson Street home and shot him with a taser and then later a gun.

Todd McKenzie, 40, was shot by police in Taree after a nine-hour siege.

Todd McKenzie.

He said he was not a trained negotiator but “somebody had to do it” and that he was the second most junior officer there at the time.

Dressed in thongs and a tracksuit, holding his head in his hands at certain points, he told the court that Mr McKenzie was waving a knife around saying “ ‘I’ll f***ing kill you’ and stabbing a knife at the glass, five centimetres away from my forehead - that’s what I remember.”

The inquest heard that at one point the officer challenged Mr McKenzie to a fight but this was “just to keep him talking” as he waited for trained negotiators to arrive.

Sitting across from a large contingent of Mr McKenzie’s family he revealed he was disciplined following the incident and was directed to undertake a mental health intervention training and that it was one of the best courses he had ever attended during his time in the police force.

Former police officer Glenn Larrain who negotiated with Todd McKenzie.

Former Senior Constable Glenn Larrain leaves Taree court on March 28.

After the training he realised “some of the things I said I shouldn’t have, but I also think I did a good job”.

The inquest heard that at one point during the negotiations Mr Larrain had been directed to stop challenging Mr McKenzie but for reasons he was unable to explain he did not take that advice.

“Because of the stress of the situation I didn’t actually recall the phone call - I recall it now because I’ve seen the footage but at the time for some reason my mind completely blanked.”

But he told the court challenging him seemed to be the “only thing that kept him at the window and talking to me.”

When asked if any further disciplinary action had been taken for him ignoring the advice to change tactics, he said “no because at the time I was on worker’s compensation because I had attempted self harm”.

Todd's father Mark McKenzie at the inquest at Taree Local Court.

Asked for any final words before completing his evidence he said “no police officer goes to work wanting to shoot someone” and that it can be a “f***ing horrible job but I did it because I could help people”.

The officer, who served for five years in Walgett then another five in Taree leading up to the incident was also on duty the day before the shooting and had responded to reports of a brawl at Barton Street.

“But that’s pretty straight forward for anything in Barton Street.”

A neighbour had reported seeing Mr McKenzie with a knife the day prior to the siege and Mr Larrain had driven along Robertson street to investigate but couldn’t see anything adding:

“It was a pretty common phone call - it’s Taree mate, there’s plenty of people walking around the streets with knives.”

The inquest continues at Taree Local Court.