Region code: Zone 4.
Released: 2010. TV Standard: PAL. Rated: M-V - Suitable for Mature Audiences 16 Years and over. Contains Violence Director: Henry, Dan.
DVD. Secondhand Item.
See inside the secretive world of the NZ Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) and find out what sort of person willingly steps into the line of fire. The use of archival footage and dramatic reconstructions of incidents as they unfold, result in dynamic action never-before seen on-screen.
Line of Fire is a three part TV One documentary series that brings to life extraordinary life and death situations. It takes us inside the minds of individuals with one of the hardest jobs in the country, drawing viewers into their precarious world and into the moments where every movement is amplified.
Former members of the AOS from all eras talk frankly for the first time about their work in interviews that are moving, thought provoking and are bound to challenge preconceived ideas. The threat to them each time they kit up is undeniable.
What is it like to pull the trigger? What is it like to nearly pull the trigger? What are the implications of either choice? How do squad members maintain their humanity, when they are seeing things no person should ever see?
Episode Information
Rules of Engagement
We get our first glimpse behind the balaclava and delve into the covert and controversial world that is the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS). Discover the genesis of this elite squad in the 1960s, the vital lessons learnt the hard way, and explore the conflicting reactions to the first fatal shootings in the 1970s.
Collateral Damage
To shoot or not to shoot? As the 1980's dawn, the AOS is under public scrutiny like never before. Accused of being trigger-happy after several high-profile fatal shootings, squad members feel the pressure of making life-and-death decisions in a split second. In a decade pockmarked with violent incidents, the worst would come at the beginning of the 1990's, in a quiet seaside town called Aramoana.
Eye of the Storm
What price are we willing to pay to keep our nation safe? The personal toll of being in the line of fire is examined. Focusing on the unpredictable and increasingly volatile crime of the 1990's and 2000's, the changing face of armed offending and the huge impact it has had on the operations of the AOS is revealed. With frontline police now routinely carrying firearms and criminals presenting weapons with alarming regularity, what is the future of the highly-trained specialist AOS?
