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, 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 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 accidents.
A slain officer may receive a police funeral, including an honour guard and flag-draped casket, and be officially mourned in the New Zealand House of Representatives. 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; notably the drowning of Enzo in 2007, Gage, a six-year-old German Shepherd, in 2010. In 2016, 4-year-old German Shepherd Gazza was shot and killed in Porirua.

Officers

Killed by criminal act

Since 1 September 1886.
BadgeRankNameAgeHonoursDateCircumstanceLocationNotes
91ConstableNeil McLeod4430 7 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
674SergeantJohn Patrick Hackett McGuire4214 4 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
963ConstableJohn Doyle355 2 1913Died in hospital two days after being assaulted by two men in the Albion HotelShannon
2030ConstableVivian Dudding326 10 1919Attending a domestic dispute, he was shot in the head and died an hour laterThorndon, Wellington
1764ConstableJames Dorgan3727 8 1921Shot investigating a break-in, the killer was never foundTimaru
1582ConstableThomas Heeps5021 10 1934Died in Waikato Hospital after being shot twice by Henare Hona, the subject of a manhuntMorrinsville
2209SergeantWilliam Cooper438 10 1941Shot by farmer Stanley Graham, who they were attempting to apprehend after he refused to surrender firearmsHokitika
3526ConstableFrederick William Jordan268 10 1941Shot by farmer Stanley Graham, who they were attempting to apprehend after he refused to surrender firearmsHokitika
3039ConstablePercy Campbell Tulloch358 10 1941Shot by farmer Stanley Graham, who they were attempting to apprehend after he refused to surrender firearmsHokitika
2364ConstableEdward Mark Best428 10 1941Shot by farmer Stanley Graham, who they were attempting to apprehend after he refused to surrender firearmsHokitika
36Traffic OfficerJohn Kehoe2431 1 1949Shot several times by Richard Angus McGill, who he had stopped for speeding with his motorcycleWhakatane
2691SergeantWilliam Shore Hughes4827 5 1951Shot dead during a domestic dispute by Noema Raana RikaOtaki
Detective InspectorWallace Chalmers46QPM6 1 1963Shot dead by Victor George Wasmuth while attending a shootingWaitākere Ranges
2839Detective SergeantNeville Wilson Power25QPM6 1 1963Shot dead by Victor George Wasmuth while attending a shootingWaitākere Ranges
4321ConstableJames Thomas Richardson243 2 1963Both shot while sitting in police car, after responding to a domestic disputeLower Hutt
3809ConstableBrian Leslie Schultz213 2 1963Both shot while sitting in police car, after responding to a domestic disputeLower Hutt
4699ConstableDonald Richard Stokes2315 8 1966Beaten by escaping prisoners at Dunedin police station, died later in hospitalDunedin
2950SergeantGilbert Peter Arcus444 2 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
5052ConstablePeter William Murphy2125 9 1976Shot attending a break-in at a sports shopInvercargill
1395Traffic OfficerBarry Yorston Gibson3213 6 1977Assaulted by a motorist and died in hospital from head injuriesNew Plymouth
1351Traffic OfficerRobin James Dudding44GM7 4 1986Taken hostage and later shot dead by Ross KametaLake Rotoiti, Bay of Plenty
4601Senior ConstablePeter Morris Umbers35GM27 5 1990Bashed to death with his own baton by Richard Thomas Lakich, who he had stoppedRanfurly
5024SergeantStewart Guthrie41GC13 11 1990Shot in the head after encountering and firing a warning shot at spree killer David Gray during the Aramoana massacreAramoana
D717ConstableGlenn Arthur McKibben2521 4 1996Shot standing beside his police car by former soldier Terence Thompson, who was later shot dead by Armed Offenders Squad.Flaxmere, Hastings
G083ConstableLester Murray Stretch3827 5 1999Bashed to death by Carlos Namana, a burglar he had followed from a break-inMangakino
F272Detective ConstableDuncan Taylor39NZBM5 7 2002Died instantly after being shot by teenager Daniel Luff, his partner escaped woundedRongotea, Manawatu
G092SergeantDerek Wootton5211 7 2008Struck by a carjacked vehicle with a hostage fleeing police while laying road spikesTitahi Bay
I417SergeantDon Wilkinson4711 9 2008Disturbed while attempting to secretly fix a tracking device to a car, received several shots from a.22 air rifle, one fatally through the chestMangere
5766Senior ConstableLeonard Snee537 5 2009Shot executing a cannabis search warrant by former territorial soldier Jan Molenaar, other officers and a member of the public received gunshot woundsNapier
ConstableMatthew Dennis Hunt2819 June 2020Shot at 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. A 24-year-old man has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and dangerous driving causing injury; and a 30-year-old woman has been arrested on accessory to murder and driving charges. Massey

Killed by accident

BadgeRankNameAgeHonoursDateCircumstanceLocationNotes
ConstableFitzgerald26 9 1851Drowned when a boat making for the Lady Nugent capsizedLyttelton Harbour
Sergeant-MajorEdward John Garvey30Légion d'honneur25 9 1863Died in a snowstorm on his way to inspect mine diggings near NasebyKakanui Range
ConstableJohn Duncan28 5 1865Drowned travelling in a punt to investigate a burglaryKaniere
ConstableJames Robinson13 11 1891Fell and struck head on iron bar at police stationWestport
ConstableDenis Mahoneyc. 3828 3 1914Killed by an explosion, together with 7 other volunteers, while fighting a fire at the Benge and Pratt store.Upper Hutt
ConstableA J Dillonc. 3218 1 1916Drowned with nurse Regan who he was attempting to saveWest Coast
ConstableAdam George Begg2624 2 1926Killed by a passing train while searching the Parnell Tunnel for an escaped prisoner.Parnell, Auckland
ConstableJames ShieldsCar was hit by the Rotorua Express at a railway crossingHuntly
ConstableCharles WilliamsDrowned attempting to save a woman who fell from the Hamilton Railway BridgeWaikato River
ConstableW J Watt10 8 1939Car went off Elephant Hill bridge, returning to a shooting investigation, Constable Black seriously injuredWaimate
191ConstableCecil Edgar Orr3824 2 1942Struck and killed by a train while searching for property along the railway tracksParnell
ConstableAlan Robert Liddell2226 2 1976Drowned while conducting an investigation with two colleagues, into a drowning on the river 17 days earlierGrey River
ConstableGreg Rowe231 04 1978Drowned after leg became entangled in a rope and fell overboard from Lady Elizabeth IIPalliser Bay
Senior SergeantPhillip William "Phil" Ward392 07 1986Drowned when police launch Lady Elizabeth II capsized during a storm, two other officers rescued by Peter ButtonWellington Harbour
ConstableGlenn Andrews Hughes282 07 1986Drowned when police launch Lady Elizabeth II capsized during a storm, two other officers rescued by Peter ButtonWellington Harbour
DetectiveAnthony Raymond "Tony" Harrod4317 12 1990Fell from helicopter sling during cannabis recovery operationWaitotara Valley, Taranaki
SergeantLindsay Eion "Lou" Grant3926 11 1993Police helicopter Eagle collided mid-air with a Piper Archer traffic spotting aircraft. Two civilians also died.Auckland City
ConstableAlastair Alan Sampson2726 11 1993Police helicopter Eagle collided mid-air with a Piper Archer traffic spotting aircraft. Two civilians also died.Auckland City
Senior ConstablePhillip Anthony "Piripi" Wipatene5515 7 2004Patrol car collided with another car on the Oakura BridgeNew Plymouth
DetectiveTravis Hughes3729 1 2005Cessna 172 aircraft crashed while on cannabis reconnaissance, civilian pilot also diedGibbston Valley, Central Otago
Police EmployeePamela Brien5422 2 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