The man accused of killing gang member Anthony Edward Rangi has pleaded not guilty.
Rangi, in his late 40s, was fatally shot outside a business in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga on August 31.
Police were called to a Selwyn St address in Onehunga at about 9.45pm but Rangi died at the scene.
Matthew Lemalu, 32, was arrested the following day and charged with murder. He appeared at the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday where he pleaded not guilty.
His lawyer, Phil Hamlin, confirmed name suppression could lapse, meaning Lemalu could be named.
Justice Mathew Downs set a trial date down for February 2026 and remanded him in custody.
In 2019, Rangi, from South Auckland, was shot at by police while leading them on a high-speed rampage across Auckland.
Multiple police cars were damaged in the incident and the Independent Police Conduct Authority had been notified.
Rangi was charged with offences including possession of a pistol, discharging a pistol, driving a vehicle without a licence, failing to stop for police, assaulting a police officer and a police constable, using a car as a weapon and operating a vehicle recklessly.
The police fired at the car and Rangi was arrested after he was bitten by a police dog on the side of his stomach.
- Stuff