Police say Kaoss Price drove at officers and attempted commandeering the cars of bystanders in a new account of the events leading up to an officer-initiated shooting.
In a statement, police released more details about the sequence of events in the Taranaki shooting, having been tight-lipped since Saturday when the incident took place.
Previously on Monday, Assistant Commissioner Sandra Venables had said that Price rammed a stationary police car after an "associate" - that he was driving in a convoy with - had been stopped by officers on State Highway 3 at around 9.30pm.
READ MORE: Questions remain over death of man in Taranaki police shooting
On Thursday evening, she added to the short account of events that police had previously provided.
"While police were speaking to the driver of this vehicle, Mr Price has sped past in his vehicle with the headlights off," she said in a statement.
"He has [then] turned around and driven at high speed toward police, before crossing the centre line and narrowly missing the stationary police car.
"He continued down the road before making a second u-turn and driving back toward police, this time ramming the police car at speed. The force of the impact shunted the police car off the road.
"Mr Price’s vehicle was immobilised due to the damage sustained in this collision.
"After the collision Mr Price has left his vehicle and attempted to commandeer a number of vehicles from members of the public who had stopped due to the incident.
Police then fatally shot the 22-year-old, Venables said, while he was trying to "take control of one of these vehicles".
Price was not armed and no firearms were recovered from the scene, she said.
Kaoss Price was killed after police say he rammed an officer’s patrol car on Saturday night. (Source: 1News)
She said police "immediately commenced first aid" however Price was pronounced dead at the scene by ambulance staff.
READ MORE: Fatal police shootings call for change in approach - Māori advocate
Venables said the scene of the shooting and wider incident had stretched for over 230m along State Highway 3.
She said forensic examination on 15 vehicles and one trailer had been completed on Wednesday.
No members of the public involved in the incident were injured, according to Venables, and the process to interview "a significant number of witnesses" was still ongoing.
Police also said they want to speak to any witnesses or people with footage that may help their investigation.
Earlier on Monday, former police negotiator Lance Burdett told 1News that a firearm does not have to be shown or used against police officers for firearms to be deployed.
Investigations in New Plymouth after a "fatal police shooting" during a vehicle stop on Saturday night. (Source: 1News)
Police have shot and killed 40 people since 1990, including two others in the Waitara region.
On Wednesday, Venables said the police investigation team for the incident was from outside Taranaki.
READ MORE: Father of Kaoss Price released on bail days after son shot
Meanwhile, she said Price's body was returned to his whānau on Wednesday after the completion of a post-mortem. They said support services were continuing to provide support to police staff and the family.
Bierta Adams said she had only been reunited with her two children on Sunday afternoon. (Source: 1News)
"While witness interviews and other enquiries continue police are not in a position to comment further."
Family members of Price have shared tributes online and expressed anger at the police shooting in the past few days.
Earlier, questions had been raised on social media about the circumstances of the shooting as police had remained quiet about incident details up until Thursday.
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