Officers killed by criminal acts

Senior Constable Len Snee was fatally wounded on 7 May 2009 while carrying out a routine search warrant at the home of Jan Molenaar in Napier.

Two other police officers and a member of the public were also shot and seriously wounded by Molenaar. The member of the public tried to intervene to protect the officers.

A stand-off ensued, which lasted for 51 hours. During this time Molenaar used an arsenal of weapons, mostly high powered military-style rifles and shotguns, to shoot at police and the public.

Molenaar died from a single gunshot wound to the head that the Coroner confirmed appeared to be self-inflicted.

Sergeant Wootton, 52, was working night shift when a report was received of an alleged serious assault and carjacking. Police patrols saw the vehicle near Porirua and a pursuit ensued to Titahi Bay, north of Porirua. 

In an effort to stop the vehicle, Sergeant Wootton laid road spikes in a suburban street in the early hours of 11 July. Tragically he was struck as the vehicle went over the spikes. Despite the best efforts of colleagues and ambulance officers, he died at the scene.

A 32-year-old man appeared in the Porirua District Court on 11 July charged with dangerous driving, dangerous driving causing death and failing to stop after a motor accident. He was also charged with aggravated robbery, the theft of a Honda Prelude and kidnapping a 16-year-old youth.

In Mangakino, Constable Stretch attended to reports of a burglary at a local store. Upon his arrival he located Carlos Namana and chased him from the store.

Namana was caught at the entrance to the local hospital, but he overpowered Constable Stretch and beat him to death. He died at the scene of extensive head injuries.

Namana was arrested the following day and charged with murder. He pleaded guilty and received life imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of 16 years.

On 13 November 1990 at Aramoana (a small township near Dunedin), a man ran amok with a firearm killing 12 people and wounding many more.

Sergeant Guthrie, the sole duty officer at Port Chalmers Police Station, went immediately to the resort. When he arrived he gathered together another police constable and both of them (now armed) went after the gunman. They finally located him inside his house, so the police constable took position at the front of the house whilst Sergeant Guthrie took position at the rear of the property; the more dangerous of the two positions. During this time, Sergeant Guthrie had kept his control fully informed of the latest situation.

The gunman then left the house by the front entrance and went towards the police constable. When challenged by this officer, the gunman retreated back into the house. Meanwhile, Sergeant Guthrie had taken cover in a cottage next to the gunman's house. Suddenly the gunman appeared out of the rear of the house. Sergeant Guthrie challenged the gunman, and fired a shot into the air. The gunman responded by firing a series of shots, which killed Sergeant Guthrie.

Sergeant Guthrie was posthumously awarded the George Cross. The citation was published in the London Gazette on 18 February 1992.

Robin Dudding was shot dead in Rotorua after he was taken hostage at Lake Rotoiti by Ross Kameta, 18, who fired shots at police. Kameta wanted to be taken to the Rotorua Police Station, but was instead driven away from the city by Traffic Officer Dudding.

Armed police located Traffic Officer Dudding's patrol vehicle near Hamurana. After disabling Kameta, they located Dudding's body in the vehicle.

Kameta was charged with the murder of Dudding and attempted murder of another police officer. He was found not guilty due to insanity and detained in a mental institution.

For his bravery in preventing the gunman from carrying out his murderous intentions, Traffic Officer Dudding was posthumously awarded the George Medal.

While committing a burglary of a sports shop in Invercargill Harry Robert Thompson, 18, shot Constable Murphy, who had been called by a witness. Three other officers also attended.

Thompson was located about two and a half hours later with a stolen loaded .22 rifle, and was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. In 1986 he was paroled.

After questioning a witness to a burglary, Detective Constables Hill and Daysh were driving her back to Shannon when their patrol car was struck by an oncoming vehicle. Detective Constable Daysh and the witness survived but Detective Constable Hill died instantly. The offending car was not warranted or registered and was driven by an unlicensed and intoxicated youth who also died at the scene.

In Lower Hutt, when answering a call to attend a domestic dispute, Constable Richardson was shot along with Constable Schultz, while still in their vehicle outside the address of Bruce Douglas McPhee. They both died instantly.

McPhee, a toolmaker aged 27, was convicted of the two murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. He spent 11 years in prison and was paroled in 1974.

In the Waitakere Ranges, West Auckland, Detective Sergeant Power attended a shooting with Detective Inspector Chalmers.

They were both shot by Victor George Wasmuth, who also shot dead a neighbour. Wasmuth was later declared insane.

Constable Bidois was attempting to take two drunk and disorderly men into custody as they were fighting outside a dance at Te Whaiti on 07/05/1949. They struck him over the head with a bottle, causing a severe brain injury. The offenders were convicted of obstructing police, casting offensive matter and assaulting police. Constable Bidois never recovered and eventually died from his injuries.

In Whakatane, after pursuing a motorcycle from the main street to outside the town for excess speed, Traffic Officer Kehoe was shot several times by Richard Angus McGill, aged 19.

McGill's body was located a week later in an orchard in Awakeri, a small settlement outside Whakatane, having shot himself.

On 8 October 1941 in Koiterangi (now Kowhitirangi) near Hokitika on the West Coast, Sergeant Cooper and Constables Best, Jordan and Tulloch were shot while trying to apprehend Stanley Graham. Best died three days later, the others died instantly.

Graham, a West Coast farmer, shot the police officers and three civilians after refusing to hand over his firearms.

This was the largest manhunt in New Zealand and after 12 days seven people had died, including Graham. An eighth victim died eighteen months later from gunshot wounds that they had received.

On 8 October 1941 in Koiterangi (now Kowhitirangi) near Hokitika on the West Coast, Constable Jordan, Sergeant Cooper and Constables Best and Tulloch were shot while trying to apprehend Stanley Graham. Best died three days later, the others died instantly.

Graham, a West Coast farmer, shot the police officers and three civilians after refusing to hand over his firearms.

This was the largest manhunt in New Zealand and after 12 days seven people had died, including Graham. An eighth victim died eighteen months later from gunshot wounds that they had received.

On 20 October 1934, near Morrinsville, Constable Heeps located Henare Hona who was being sought for killing four people in the Otorohanga area. Constable Heeps was shot twice on attempting to return him to the station.

He underwent surgery in Waikato Hospital but died the following day.

Hona shot himself when surrounded by police on a farm.

In Thorndon, Wellington, while attending a domestic dispute, Constable Dudding was shot in the head by Alexander Aspin, the divorced husband.

Aspin later shot himself. They both died in hospital that night.

On 10 April 1910 in Palmerston North, during the hunt for an escaped burglar, Sergeant McGuire was shot and wounded in the stomach, allegedly by John Joseph Powelka. He died four days later.

Powelka was acquitted of murder but convicted on seven charges of burglary, receiving three years imprisonment on each charge, to be served cumulatively.