Unwise and even stupid people can be found outside politics – at a city golf club, for example

The heading on the number three item on the Herald’s home page, when Alf checked this evening, said: Dunne: I was unwise, even stupid.

We all know what that’s about.

It was about United Future leader Peter Dunne’s 30-year political career being in ruins after he refused to co-operate fully with an inquiry into who leaked a report on spy agency the GCSB (see here).

Thus a bloke who once led a parliamentary team of eight MPs on the strength of his portraying it as the common-sense party had shown he is capable of being uncommonly senseless.

He is adamant he did not leak the Kitteridge report into dubious goings-on at the Government Communications Security Bureau.

But he won’t cough up the emails which he insists would clear his name.

This is not the reason why he considers himself unwise and even stupid.

You will find his reasoning for so describing himself in umpteen accounts of what has gone on in his office including a veritable tsunami of emails that flowed between him and a female journalist.

As it turns out, he is not the only bloke to have been unwise and even stupid in recent times.

The top item on the Herald home page (here) is about one Adam Te Rata Charles Morehu, aged 33, who – alas – will not be around to celebrate his 34th or any other birthday.

As this Herald report explains, he was shot by police in New Plymouth early this morning after – it would seem – breaking into the New Plymouth Golf Club.

Breaking into the golf club or any other premises attests to a strong anti-social streak and an inclination to felony.

But according to the police version of what happened, he also told the cops he would kill them and began shooting at them.

This attests to a much higher degree of anti-social behaviour than a break-in and furthermore suggests an urge to kill cops.

Taking a pop at the cops was far from clever.

They were apt to take a pop back – and one of them did.

As a consequence, according to the Herald’s report (here), three separate investigations have been launched.

Multiple security alarms went off at the premises about 4am and police responded.

Officers saw that windows had been smashed and set up a cordon around the area.

One of the officers found two offenders on a motorbike leaving the scene.

Acting District Commander Inspector Mark Harrison said he was not prepared to go into much greater detail at this stage.

But he did confirm that that the offenders have crashed their bike on the golf course as they tried to leave and a police dog has been deployed and detained one of the offenders.

“An officer went to assist the dog with the first offender and during this time the second offender yelled threats and shot at the officers which led to police discharging a firearm.”

Another account has been given by Assistant Commissioner Grant Nicholls.

He told a press conference at the New Plymouth Civil Defence Emergency Centre that two police officers attended and saw the golf club had been broken into.

“Two male offenders on a motorbike crashed down a bank and at this stage a police dog has been deployed.

“An unarmed police officer went to assist the dog apprehend the offender into custody. A second offender who remained with the motor bike showed aggressive behaviour and told the officers he was going to kill them. He fired a shot at police. While the offender was going through his back pack an officer has removed a Glock from the police vehicle. He heard the offender reloading his firearm and he was shot by police.”

The officers administered first aid. He was still conscious when ambulance arrived but he died a short time later.

One of the three inquiries will focus on the incident and the actions of the deceased; a second will independently look at the actions of police; a third investigation will focus on general police policies and procedures.

It remains to be seen whether the inquiries will verify these accounts of what happened.

The cops are not always squeaky clean when it comes to describing what actually happened in incidents like this.

But if it transpires Adam Te Rata Charles Morehu threatened to kill the cops, then opened fire…

Well, in that case we may suppose his common sense deserted him and (if he had the opportunity to be questioned on the matter) he would admit to having been unwise and even stupid.