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

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

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

Killed by criminal act

Since 1 September 1886.[8]

BadgeRankNameAgeHonoursDateCircumstanceLocationNotes
91ConstableNeil McLeod4430 July 1890Gumdigger 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 chestDargaville (Mangawhare Wharf)[9]
674SergeantJohn Patrick Hackett McGuire4214 April 1910Shot 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 burglaryPalmerston North[10]
963ConstableJohn Doyle355 February 1913Died in hospital two days after being assaulted by two men in the Albion HotelShannon[11]
2030ConstableVivian Dudding326 October 1919Attending a domestic dispute, he was shot in the head and died an hour laterThorndon, Wellington[12]
1764ConstableJames Dorgan3727 August 1921Shot investigating a break-in, the killer was never foundTimaru[13]
1582ConstableThomas Heeps5021 October 1934Died in Waikato Hospital after being shot twice by Henare Hona, the subject of a manhuntMorrinsville (nearby)[14]
2209SergeantWilliam Cooper438 October 1941Shot by farmer Stanley Graham, who they were attempting to apprehend after he refused to surrender firearmsHokitika (nearby)[15]
3526ConstableFrederick William Jordan26[16]
3039ConstablePercy Campbell Tulloch35[17]
2364ConstableEdward Mark Best42[18]
36Traffic OfficerJohn Kehoe2431 January 1949Shot several times by Richard Angus McGill, who he had stopped for speeding with his motorcycleWhakatane[19]
2691SergeantWilliam Shore Hughes4827 May 1951Shot dead during a domestic dispute by Noema Raana RikaŌtaki[20]
Detective InspectorWallace Chalmers46QPM6 January 1963Shot dead by Victor George Wasmuth while attending a shootingWaitākere Ranges[21]
2839Detective SergeantNeville Wilson Power25QPM[22]
4321ConstableJames Thomas Richardson243 February 1963Both shot while sitting in police car, after responding to a domestic disputeLower Hutt[23]
3809ConstableBrian Leslie Schultz21[24]
4699ConstableDonald Richard Stokes2315 August 1966Beaten by escaping prisoners at Dunedin police station, died later in hospitalDunedin[25]
2950SergeantGilbert Peter Arcus444 February 1970Assaulted by a mentally disturbed woman he was trying to placate, fell and struck his head on the ground, dying from the injury an hour laterTauranga[26]
5052ConstablePeter William Murphy2125 September 1976Shot attending a break-in at a sports shopInvercargill[27]
1395Traffic OfficerBarry Yorston Gibson3213 June 1977Assaulted by a motorist and died in hospital from head injuriesNew Plymouth[28]
1351Traffic OfficerRobin James Dudding44GM7 April 1986Taken hostage and later shot dead by Ross KametaLake Rotoiti, Bay of Plenty[29][30]
4601Senior ConstablePeter Morris Umbers35GM27 May 1990Bashed to death with his own baton by Richard Thomas Lakich, who he had stoppedRanfurly (nearby)[31]
5024SergeantStewart Guthrie41GC13 November 1990Shot in the head after encountering and firing a warning shot at spree killer David Gray during the Aramoana massacreAramoana[32]
D717ConstableGlenn Arthur McKibben2521 April 1996Shot standing beside his police car by former soldier Terence Thompson, who was later shot dead by Armed Offenders Squad.Flaxmere, Hastings[33][34]
G083ConstableLester Murray Stretch3827 May 1999Bashed to death by Carlos Namana, a burglar he had followed from a break-inMangakino[35][36]
F272Detective ConstableDuncan Taylor39NZBM5 July 2002Died instantly after being shot by teenager Daniel Luff, his partner escaped woundedRongotea, Manawatū[37][38][39]
G092SergeantDerek Wootton5211 July 2008Struck by a carjacked vehicle with a hostage fleeing police while laying road spikesTitahi Bay[35][40][41]
I417SergeantDon Wilkinson4711 September 2008Disturbed while attempting to secretly fix a tracking device to a car, received several shots from a .22 air rifle, one fatally through the chestMāngere[42][43]
5766Senior ConstableLeonard Snee537 May 2009Shot executing a cannabis search warrant by former territorial soldier Jan Molenaar, other officers and a member of the public received gunshot woundsNapier[44]
MHIH84Constable 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
BadgeRankNameAgeHonoursDateCircumstanceLocationNotes
ConstableFitzgerald26 September 1851Drowned when a boat making for the Lady Nugent capsizedLyttelton Harbour[50][51]
Sergeant-MajorEdward John Garvey30Légion d'honneur25 September 1863Died in a snowstorm on his way to inspect mine diggings near NasebyKakanui Range[52][53][54]
ConstableJohn Duncan28 May 1865Drowned travelling in a punt to investigate a burglaryKaniere (nearby)
ConstableJames Robinson13 November 1891Fell and struck head on iron bar at police stationWestport[55][56][57]
ConstableDenis Mahoneyc. 3828 March 1914Killed by an explosion, together with 7 other volunteers, while fighting a fire at the Benge and Pratt store.Upper Hutt[58]
ConstableA J Dillonc. 3218 January 1916Drowned with nurse Regan who he was attempting to saveWest Coast[59]
ConstableAdam George Begg2624 February 1926Killed by a passing train while searching the Parnell Tunnel for an escaped prisoner.Parnell, Auckland[60][61]
ConstableJames ShieldsOctober 1933Car was hit by the Rotorua Express at a railway crossingHuntly (nearby)
ConstableCharles WilliamsAugust 1935Drowned attempting to save a woman who fell from the Hamilton Railway BridgeWaikato River
ConstableW J Watt10 August 1939Car went off Elephant Hill bridge, returning to a shooting investigation, Constable Black seriously injuredWaimate (nearby)[62]
191ConstableCecil Edgar Orr3824 February 1942Struck and killed by a train while searching for property along the railway tracksParnell[63]
ConstableAlan Robert Liddell2226 February 1976Drowned while conducting an investigation with two colleagues, into a drowning on the river 17 days earlierGrey River[64]
ConstableGreg Rowe231 April 1978Drowned after leg became entangled in a rope and fell overboard from Lady Elizabeth IIPalliser Bay (nearby)[65][66]
Senior SergeantPhillip William "Phil" Ward392 July 1986Drowned when police launch Lady Elizabeth II capsized during a storm, two other officers rescued by Peter ButtonWellington Harbour[67]
ConstableGlenn Andrews Hughes28
DetectiveAnthony Raymond "Tony" Harrod4317 December 1990Fell from helicopter sling during cannabis recovery operationWaitotara Valley, Taranaki[68][69]
SergeantLindsay Eion "Lou" Grant3926 November 1993Police helicopter Eagle collided mid-air with a Piper Archer traffic spotting aircraft. Two civilians also died.Auckland CBD[70]
ConstableAlastair Alan Sampson27
Senior ConstablePhillip Anthony "Piripi" Wipatene5515 July 2004Patrol car collided with another car on the Oakura BridgeNew Plymouth (14 km southwest)[71]
DetectiveTravis Hughes3729 January 2005Cessna 172 aircraft crashed while on cannabis reconnaissance, civilian pilot also diedGibbston Valley, Central Otago[72][73]
Police EmployeePamela (Pam) Brien5422 February 2011Killed 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

Notes
  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.
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  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
  35. 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.
  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.
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  48. "UPDATE: Commissioner's statement following Massey incident". New Zealand Police. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
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  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)
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  55. (Hill 1995, p. 11)
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  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.
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References
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