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List of New Zealand police officers killed in the line of duty

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This is a list of New Zealand Police officers killed in the line of duty. As of 2020, 33 police officers have been killed by criminal act,[1][2] and about 17 have died from accidental causes, during the execution of duty. There has been one instance of multiple police deaths, when Stanley Graham gunned down four officers (and two wartime home guardsmen) attempting to apprehend him in 1941, and four double fatalities. Most of the homicides have been a result of gunshot wounds, the accidents mainly due to either drowning or vehicle (car/aircraft) accidents.

A slain officer may receive a police funeral, including an honour guard and flag-draped casket,[3] and be officially mourned in the New Zealand House of Representatives.[4][5] At least four officers have received posthumous honours—Sergeant Stewart Guthrie received the highest Commonwealth civilian decoration, the George Cross. The Lou Grant Award, created in the memory of the police sergeant who died in the 1993 Eagle helicopter mid-air collision, is awarded every second year for excellence and contributions to search and rescue.

The Memorial Wall at the Royal New Zealand Police College lists the names of fallen colleagues, whom the service commemorates annually on Police Remembrance Day. The Police Association together with the New Zealand Police introduced a Police Remembrance Day Pin in 2007, for officers to wear to honour the memory of those slain during the course of duty. The pin combines a Huia tail feather with a police chevron; the Huia bird was sacred in Māori culture, wearing of its feathers restricted to people of high status.

In addition to the human officers, 24 police dogs have died in the line of duty;[6] notably the drowning of Enzo in 2007,[7] Gage, a six-year-old German Shepherd, in 2010. In 2016, 4-year-old German Shepherd Gazza was shot and killed in Porirua.

Officers

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   shaded rows denotes when officers were killed in the same incident.

Killed by criminal act

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Since 1 September 1886.[8]

QID (Query identity) Rank Name Age Honours Date Circumstance Location Notes
91 Constable Neil McLeod 44 30 July 1890 Gumdigger Henry Funcke was removed from a steamer and had his rifle confiscated. He became angry and drew a concealed pistol, firing several shots at the departing ship, one of which struck McLeod in the chest Dargaville (Mangawhare Wharf) [9]
674 Sergeant John Patrick Hackett McGuire 42 14 April 1910 Shot in the stomach during a manhunt, and died four days later. John Joseph Powelka was acquitted of murder but received 21 cumulative years for seven charges of burglary Palmerston North [10]
963 Constable John Doyle 35 5 February 1913 Died in hospital two days after being assaulted by two men in the Albion Hotel Shannon [11]
2030 Constable Vivian Dudding 32 6 October 1919 Attending a domestic dispute, he was shot in the head and died an hour later Thorndon, Wellington [12]
1764 Constable James Dorgan 37 27 August 1921 Shot investigating a break-in, the killer was never found Timaru [13]
1582 Constable Thomas Heeps 50 21 October 1934 Died in Waikato Hospital after being shot twice by Henare Hona, the subject of a manhunt Morrinsville (nearby) [14]
2209 Sergeant William Cooper 43 8 October 1941 Shot by farmer Stanley Graham, who they were attempting to apprehend after he refused to surrender firearms Hokitika (nearby) [15]
3526 Constable Frederick William Jordan 26 [16]
3039 Constable Percy Campbell Tulloch 35 [17]
2364 Constable Edward Mark Best 42 [18]
36 Traffic Officer John Kehoe 24 31 January 1949 Shot several times by Richard Angus McGill, who he had stopped for speeding with his motorcycle Whakatāne [19]
2691 Sergeant William Shore Hughes 48 27 May 1951 Shot dead during a domestic dispute by Noema Raana Rika Ōtaki [20]
Detective Inspector Wallace Chalmers 46 QPM 6 January 1963 Shot dead by Victor George Wasmuth while attending a shooting Waitākere Ranges [21]
2839 Detective Sergeant Neville Wilson Power 25 QPM [22]
4321 Constable James Thomas Richardson 24 3 February 1963 Both shot while sitting in police car, after responding to a domestic dispute Lower Hutt [23]
3809 Constable Brian Leslie Schultz 21 [24]
4699 Constable Donald Richard Stokes 23 15 August 1966 Beaten by escaping prisoners at Dunedin police station, died later in hospital Dunedin [25]
2950 Sergeant Gilbert Peter Arcus 44 4 February 1970 Assaulted by a mentally disturbed woman he was trying to placate, fell and struck his head on the ground, dying from the injury an hour later Tauranga [26]
5052 Constable Peter William Murphy 21 25 September 1976 Shot attending a break-in at a sports shop Invercargill [27]
1395 Traffic Officer Barry Yorston Gibson 32 13 June 1977 Assaulted by a motorist and died in hospital from head injuries New Plymouth [28]
1351 Traffic Officer Robin James Dudding 44 GM 7 April 1986 Taken hostage and later shot dead by Ross Kameta Lake Rotoiti, Bay of Plenty [29][30]
4601 Senior Constable Peter Morris Umbers 35 GM 27 May 1990 Bashed to death with his own baton by Richard Thomas Lakich, who he had stopped Ranfurly (nearby) [31]
5024 Sergeant Stewart Guthrie 41 GC 13 November 1990 Shot in the head after encountering and firing a warning shot at spree killer David Gray during the Aramoana massacre Aramoana [32]
D717 Constable Glenn Arthur McKibben 25 21 April 1996 Shot standing beside his police car by former soldier Terence Thompson, who was later shot dead by Armed Offenders Squad. Flaxmere, Hastings [33][34]
G083 Constable Lester Murray Stretch 38 27 May 1999 Bashed to death by Carlos Namana, a burglar he had followed from a break-in Mangakino [35][36]
F272 Detective Constable Duncan Taylor 39 NZBM 5 July 2002 Died instantly after being shot by teenager Daniel Luff, his partner escaped wounded Rongotea, Manawatū [37][38][39]
G092 Sergeant Derek Wootton 52 11 July 2008 Struck by a carjacked vehicle with a hostage fleeing police while laying road spikes Titahi Bay [35][40][41]
I417 Sergeant Don Wilkinson 47 11 September 2008 Disturbed while attempting to secretly fix a tracking device to a car, received several shots from a .22 air rifle, one fatally through the chest Māngere [42][43]
5766 Senior Constable Leonard Snee 53 7 May 2009 Shot executing a cannabis search warrant by former territorial soldier Jan Molenaar, other officers and a member of the public received gunshot wounds Napier [44]
MHIH84 Constable Matthew Dennis Hunt 28 19 June 2020 Shot dead during a routine traffic stop. Another officer was also shot and seriously injured. A civilian was struck and injured as the two suspects fled the scene. Massey [45][46][47][48][49]

Killed by accident

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Badge Rank Name Age Honours Date Circumstance Location Notes
Constable Fitzgerald 26 September 1851 Drowned when a boat making for the Lady Nugent capsized Lyttelton Harbour [50][51]
Sergeant-Major Edward John Garvey 30 Légion d'honneur 25 September 1863 Died in a snowstorm on his way to inspect mine diggings near Naseby Kakanui Range [52][53][54]
Constable John Duncan 28 May 1865 Drowned travelling in a punt to investigate a burglary Kaniere (nearby) [citation needed]
Constable James Robinson 13 November 1891 Fell and struck head on iron bar at police station Westport [55][56][57]
Constable Denis Mahoney c. 38 28 March 1914 Killed by an explosion, together with 7 other volunteers, while fighting a fire at the Benge and Pratt store. Upper Hutt [58]
Constable A J Dillon c. 32 18 January 1916 Drowned with nurse Regan who he was attempting to save West Coast [59]
Constable Adam George Begg 26 24 February 1926 Killed by a passing train while searching the Parnell Tunnel for an escaped prisoner. Parnell, Auckland [60][61]
Constable James Shields October 1933 Car was hit by the Rotorua Express at a railway crossing Huntly (nearby) [citation needed]
Constable Charles Williams August 1935 Drowned attempting to save a woman who fell from the Hamilton Railway Bridge Waikato River [citation needed]
Constable W J Watt 10 August 1939 Car went off Elephant Hill bridge, returning to a shooting investigation, Constable Black seriously injured Waimate (nearby) [62]
191 Constable Cecil Edgar Orr 38 24 February 1942 Struck and killed by a train while searching for property along the railway tracks Parnell [63]
Constable Alan Robert Liddell 22 26 February 1976 Drowned while conducting an investigation with two colleagues, into a drowning on the river 17 days earlier Grey River [64]
Constable Greg Rowe 23 1 April 1978 Drowned after leg became entangled in a rope and fell overboard from Lady Elizabeth II Palliser Bay (nearby) [65][66]
Senior Sergeant Phillip William "Phil" Ward 39 2 July 1986 Drowned when police launch Lady Elizabeth II capsized during a storm, two other officers rescued by Peter Button Wellington Harbour [67]
Constable Glenn Andrews Hughes 28
Detective Anthony Raymond "Tony" Harrod 43 17 December 1990 Fell from helicopter sling during cannabis recovery operation Waitotara Valley, Taranaki [68][69]
Sergeant Lindsay Eion "Lou" Grant 39 26 November 1993 Police helicopter Eagle collided mid-air with a Piper Archer traffic spotting aircraft. Two civilians also died. Auckland CBD [70]
Constable Alastair Alan Sampson 27
Senior Constable Phillip Anthony "Piripi" Wipatene 55 15 July 2004 Patrol car collided with another car on the Oakura Bridge New Plymouth (14 km southwest) [71]
Detective Travis Hughes 37 29 January 2005 Cessna 172 aircraft crashed while on cannabis reconnaissance, civilian pilot also died Gibbston Valley, Central Otago [72][73]
Police Employee Pamela (Pam) Brien 54 22 February 2011 Killed in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Pamela Brien was at a work-related meeting related to her job in the child protection unit of the Christchurch detachment when the earthquake hit, resulting in the CTV Building she was in collapsing. Christchurch [74]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "'Routine' operation which left policeman dead not considered high risk". The New Zealand Herald. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
  2. ^ "Three officers shot at, one killed – report". The New Zealand Herald. 7 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  3. ^ "Wellington-Funeral of Sergeant Derek Wootton". NZPA Images. 16 July 2008. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
  4. ^ "Motions — New Zealand Police—Death of Sergeant Derek Wootton". Hansard. New Zealand Parliament. 22 July 2008. p. 17231. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
  5. ^ "Motions — New Zealand Police—Death of Sergeant Don Wilkinson". Hansard. New Zealand Parliament. 11 September 2008. p. 18811. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
  6. ^ Booker, Jarrod (13 July 2010). "Six-year-old Gage 23rd dog to die on duty". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  7. ^ "Man jailed for killing police dog". The New Zealand Herald. 15 January 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  8. ^ Details mostly from the Memorial Archived 25 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine webpage of the New Zealand police. Accessed 2008-10-27.
  9. ^ "Neil McLeod". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 10 May 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  10. ^ "John McGuire". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  11. ^ "John Doyle". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  12. ^ "Vivian Dudding". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  13. ^ "James Dorgan". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  14. ^ "Thomas Heeps". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 12 September 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  15. ^ "William Cooper". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  16. ^ "Frederick Jordan". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  17. ^ "Percy Tulloch". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  18. ^ "Edward Best". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 17 May 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  19. ^ "John Kehoe". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  20. ^ "William Hughes". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  21. ^ "Wallace Chalmers". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  22. ^ "Neville Power". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  23. ^ "James Richardson". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  24. ^ "Brian Schultz". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  25. ^ "Donald Stokes". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  26. ^ "Gilbert Arcus". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  27. ^ "Peter Murphy". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  28. ^ "Barry Gibson". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  29. ^ "No. 51059". The London Gazette. 11 September 1987. p. 11343.
  30. ^ "Robin Dudding". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  31. ^ "Peter Umbers". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  32. ^ "Stewart Guthrie". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  33. ^ "Glenn McKibben". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  34. ^ Google cache [dead link‍]
  35. ^ a b Gay, Edward and NZPA (16 July 2008). "Police form guard of honour for fallen officer". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  36. ^ "Lester Stretch". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  37. ^ "Heroes among us: Our top kiwis named for NZ Bravery Awards". The New Zealand Herald. 29 January 2005. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  38. ^ "Duncan Taylor". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  39. ^ "Remembering Duncan". 8 July 2012.
  40. ^ "NZ policeman killed by stolen car". SBS Australia. 11 July 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  41. ^ "Derek Wootton". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  42. ^ Milne, Rebecca (14 September 2008). "Single shot among many killed officer". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  43. ^ "Don Wilkinson". New Zealand Police. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  44. ^ "Police name officer shot dead". The New Zealand Herald. 7 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.http://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/remembrance-day-2014.pdf
  45. ^ Williams, Caroline (20 June 2020). "Auckland police shooting: Officer killed identified by police". Stuff.
  46. ^ "Massey, west Auckland shooting: Offender still on the loose, police officer confirmed dead – Police Commissioner". Newshub. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  47. ^ "Man charged with murder after police officer killed in Auckland". Newshub. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  48. ^ "UPDATE: Commissioner's statement following Massey incident". New Zealand Police. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  49. ^ "Moving haka for slain police officer Constable Matthew Hunt at Eden Park". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  50. ^ "News and Notes". Lyttelton Times. 27 September 1851.
  51. ^ "Canterbury". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. Vol. X, no. 502. 18 October 1851. p. 134. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  52. ^ (McGill 1992, p. 247)
  53. ^ "News of the Week". Otago Witness. No. 643. 26 March 1864. p. 13. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  54. ^ "Cemetery Details". Dunedin City Council. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  55. ^ (Hill 1995, p. 11)
  56. ^ "The Grey River Argus". Vol. XXXII, no. 7376. 1 June 1892. p. 2. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  57. ^ "Untitled". Evening Post. Vol. XLII, no. 118. 14 November 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  58. ^ "Deadly tragedy to be commemorated". Upper Hutt Leader. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  59. ^ "Surf Bathing Accident". Grey River Argus. 19 January 1916. p. 3. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
  60. ^ "A Policeman's Fate". The Evening Post. 24 February 1926. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  61. ^ "The Inquest". The Evening Post. 24 February 1926. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  62. ^ "Constable Killed". Otago Daily Times. 11 August 1939.
  63. ^ "Constable Killed". The New Zealand Herald. 25 February 1942.
  64. ^ "Policeman drowned". Otago Daily Times. 28 February 1976. pp. 1, 3.
  65. ^ "Tears for constable 30 years on". Dominion Post. 7 April 2008. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  66. ^ "Police News" (PDF). New Zealand Police Association. May 2008. p. 97. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  67. ^ "Police launch capsizes in storm; two dead". Otago Daily Times. 3 July 1986. p. 1.
  68. ^ "Fall kills policeman". Otago Daily Times. 18 December 1990. p. 2.
  69. ^ "Investigation 90-012T". Transport Accident Investigation Commission. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  70. ^ "Investigation 93-020". Transport Accident Investigation Commission. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  71. ^ "Annual Report year ended 30 June 2005". New Zealand Police. 2005. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  72. ^ "Plane crash inquest winds up". TVNZ. 31 March 2006. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  73. ^ "Investigation 05-002". Transport Accident Investigation Commission. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  74. ^ "Pamela Brien". NZHerald. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.

References

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