The bravery of a constable - who was instrumental in saving the lives of three victims after a violent incident at a Horowhenua house earlier this year - has been recognised today.
Constable David Cramp received the Police Association’s 2026 Bravery Award for his actions on January 14, when police were called to a family harm incident at Waitārere Beach in Horowhenua.
Cramp and another officer were the first to arrive at the address, spotting what appeared to be a bullet hole in a window.
A distressed nine-year-old girl then opened the door and couldn't provide meaningful information about the situation.
Without waiting for specialist backup, the officers went into the house and found a heavily bleeding man lying on the floor and a pistol on a nearby table. They soon identified him as the suspect.
As they searched the house, they found multiple pools of blood and shell casings scattered about.
In the first bedroom was a 22-year-old man lying on a bed covered in blood.
In the next room was a woman lying in bed with blood covering her head and pillow.
And in the third bedroom was a 17-year-old male who was able to confirm he’d been shot.
“It was confronting,” Cramp told 1News.
It was later revealed that a woman, 46, and two young men aged 21 and 17 were critically injured. The suspect, Benjamin Harry Timmins, 60, died at the scene.
A woman and two males aged 21 and 17 were rushed to hospital from Waitārere Beach property. (Source: 1News)
Cramp assessed the victim's life-threatening injuries and rapidly started treating them.
“The first aid training I received in the military was immense – it absolutely helped," he said. "I think without that, I would’ve, at times, been lost as to how to proceed with the first aid.
“We didn’t have enough chest seals for the amount of torso injuries that one of the victims had, so I just had to improvise, which a common way of doing that was using plastic backing of bandages.
“You’re bringing in information a thousand miles an hour, and you just have to take a breath and think what’s important now.”
“Whenever you’re going into an environment like that, you need to think about security, so that was the key concern. It’s always hard stepping over or bypassing people in help, but you need to ensure the safety of you and your colleagues, so that was the primary concern, clearing the house and then moving onto the next phase.”
On his family’s reaction, he said: “They’re immensely proud”.
The committee that recommended Cramp said his actions were instrumental in preventing the death of the three surviving victims.
“His decision to enter the address, a clear and potentially active armed scene, locate all victims and immediately commence advanced trauma care under extreme circumstances reflects a remarkable level of professionalism and bravery.”
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