Policeman who shot Ryan Pringle thought colleague hit by crossbow The police officer who pulled the trigger on Ryan Pringle at a property near Tenterfield, Sgt Carter Knyvett. Picture: John Grainger Source: News Limited A NSW policeman says he shot dead a delusional man who terrorised a group of hippy campers after mistaking the sound of a Taser for an arrow from the man's crossbow. Ryan Pringle, 33, was shot dead last April after threatening campers taking part in a Rainbow Family celebration of peace and harmony in northern NSW. But an inquest into Mr Pringle's death heard today that Sergeant Carter Knyvett only fired his pistol because he thought Mr Pringle had shot his colleague Senior Constable Karen Peasley with a crossbow. "I heard a 'thwack' or 'whoosh' that to me sounded to be similar to the release of a crossbow," he told the Coroners Court at Parramatta. I quickly glanced at (her) and in the corner of my eye I thought she was recoiling backward. I thought he had shot her. He fired one shot, but upon seeing Mr Pringle still upright with a loaded crossbow, fired another four rounds in quick succession. Sgt Knyvett said he was expecting an arrow to shoot through the gunfire smoke at any moment and strike him in the chest. But all that followed was the sound of Mr Pringle raging, "You shot me in the arse you c ." Moments earlier, he had been forced to flick his torch on and off in the pitch black surrounds to distract Mr Pringle from Sen Const Peasley so she could move from his line of fire. "I had to balance my need to be able to see him against the vulnerability of him being able to see me," he said. Until then, Sgt Knyvett had been organising the terrified campers into a convoy so they could flee the site. But as he was about to get into the driver's seat, he heard Mr Pringle - nicknamed "The Wild Man" - scream before emerging from the bush brandishing a crossbow. He had first seen Mr Pringle when he pulled up at the site, where he shouted "f you, I'm a diplomat" and "this is against international law" before disappearing. As Sgt Knyvett recounted the night's events, Sen Const Peasley cried and cradled her head in her hands. The inquest before Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillion continues.