Operation Wheaton, the murder of Constable Matthew Hunt, Auckland Waitematā, 19 June 2020
MHIH84 Constable Matthew Hunt
New Zealand Bravery Decoration (posthumous)
DGCC10 Constable David Goldfinch
New Zealand Bravery Medal
Mid-morning on 19 June 2020, Constables Matt Hunt and Dave Goldfinch were on routine traffic duty in West Auckland. They checked an approaching vehicle on the police system and found the registered owner was the subject of several alerts. They activated their blue lights and followed the car, intending to stop it.
The car sped off. The driver lost control and crashed into a parked vehicle, injuring a person who was loading the vehicle. Constable Goldfinch went to provide first aid but the driver being pursued got out and pointed a military-style semi-automatic firearm at him. Unarmed, Constable Goldfinch tried to convince the man to put down his weapon but the offender began firing at him.
Constable Hunt radioed the Police Emergency Communication Centre as the first shot was fired and provided situation reports and called for back-up. Constable Goldfinch sheltered behind parked cars as the offender continued to fire at him, then ran further down the road, suffering four gunshot wounds from nine shots fired before reaching a nearby property. Constable Goldfinch radioed Police Comms with their location and the offender’s details.
Constable Hunt radioed again to advise shots were still being fired. Concerned that he no longer knew where Constable Goldfinch was, Constable Hunt left the police car to help him.
He took a few steps before the offender returned and shot him several times. Constable Hunt fell to the ground and made one final attempt to radio Police Comms. The offender got a second firearm from his crashed car and made a nearby resident drive him away from the scene in another vehicle.
Constable Hunt died at the scene.
Constable Goldfinch, unaware of what happened to Constable Hunt, was picked up by passing workers and taken for medical assistance.