Police were last night working through Interpol to try and contact the British family of a Whangarei woman shot dead after a hostage drama .
The woman, named by TV3 last night as Lee Jane Mettam, was shot in the chest by a member of the Armed Offenders Squad on Thursday after she pointed an air rifle at a police officer.
She had held a Vodafone staff member, 29-year-old Son Taylor, hostage for up to an hour before she was killed and had ignored several negotiation attempts by police.
It has also been revealed Mettam had been involved in a scuffle with police last Tuesday outside a Warehouse store in Whangarei. TV3 reported Mettam had been trying to steal money from a Vodafone staff member's daughter.
"Again, that'll be something that will be examined through the investigation, as to going back and retracing her movements, not only yesterday but in the days leading up to this incident," Acting District Commander Inspector Chris Scahill said.
Police have said the woman had no known family in New Zealand.
The Weekend Herald understands Mettam was in her 40s, and had previously come to police attention.
In Whangarei speculation was rife yesterday about why the woman entered the store in the first place.
It was reported the woman went to the store looking for a salesman whose daughter allegedly owed her money. The salesman's family said they would not discuss the allegations.
Police would not say whether the woman knew anyone in the store but said she took some money from the cash register. One man said the woman tried to rob the store of cash and some phones.
"He [the salesman] gave her the money and asked her what sort of phones she wanted."
Five other staff members were also originally in the Vodafone store when the woman first entered. They all managed to escape out a back door.
Mr Taylor's father, Rudy Taylor, told The Northern Advocate he was relieved his son was not hurt during the standoff. At the same time he was deeply saddened about the shooting.
Mr Taylor said he did not know the woman and was not aware of any connection between her and his son.
Police said it would be some time before their investigations, which included talking to a large number of witnesses, were completed. Until then, they would be releasing few other details about what happened.
The dead woman's body was in Auckland last night where a pathologist was to carry out a postmortem examination.
