“Eventually a distressed 9-year-old girl opened the door,” the association said.
“She was hysterical and unable to provide meaningful information about what had occurred.”
Cramp and the other officer entered without waiting for further resources where they spotted a pistol and found a 60-year-old man lying on the floor. The association described him as “bleeding heavily and unable to respond”.
The man was Ben Timmins who, the Herald revealed, had suffered a stab wound to the chest.
“He was soon identified as the suspect and despite first aid being rendered by Constable Cramp’s fellow officer, the man subsequently died at the scene.”
The sister of Benjamin Timmins, Rachel O’Grady, and other family members, hold a karakia at the property on Waitārere Beach Rd after a shooting that killed a man and put three others in hospital. Photo / Mike Scott
Cramp did an armed search of the house, where he came across “multiple pools of blood and spent shell casings”.
In a bedroom, he found a 22-year-old man on a bed covered in blood.
A woman was found in another room seriously injured with a fractured skull and significant intracranial injury. She was conscious and able to provide short responses when questioned.
In a third bedroom, Cramp found a 17-year-old male who had also been shot.
Cramp, who the association said had military experience in battlefield trauma management, provided treatment to the victims.
One of the men had been shot in the face, a near-fatal injury, which limited potential first aid options.
The second man had gunshot wounds to his chest, arm and abdomen. Cramp made chest seals using plastic bandage packaging. The injured man had broken ribs, lung lacerations and significant trauma to his spleen and kidneys, the association said.
The Police Association’s Palmerston North committee said the officer demonstrated a “remarkable level of professionalism and bravery”.
“Constable Cramp’s conduct throughout this incident exemplifies outstanding bravery, decisive leadership, and an unwavering commitment to preserving life in the face of extraordinary danger.
“His actions are considered to have been directly instrumental in preventing the deaths of the three surviving victims.”
Constable David Cramp is awarded the 2026 Police Bravery Award at a ceremony in Wellington. Photo / Grace Symmans
At today’s ceremony, Cramp spoke about the shooting, saying there was no time to hesitate once he entered the building and cited his military training for helping him.
“It was almost quite similar to what I experienced that night, but it was just real this time.”
His advice for other cops was to “train for the day that you hope never comes”.
Cramp said he felt out of place in front of people at the ceremony, but he appreciated the recognition and the award.
In his acceptance speech Cramp recognised his fellow colleagues at the scene.
“The question wasn’t whether I was going to go in, but who would follow me.”
The committee also noted the efforts of Sergeant Nathan Hessell, Constables Matthew Wells and Ebubekir Avci and attending Palmerston North staff.
The dead offender was said to have been known to police.
A local shopkeeper told the Herald at the time he was familiar with the couple that lived at the Waitārere Beach Rd address and said the man who lived there had a reputation for being “impatient”.