Venkat Raman
Auckland, June 27, 2020
Police officers throughout New Zealand joined forced to observe one minute silence in memory of their fellow officer Constable Matthew Hunt yesterday (Friday, June 26, 2020).
While wreaths, flowers and other tributes were the order of the day for the past week at the Henderson Police Station, the headquarters of the Waitemata District Police to which the late Constable belonged, colleagues and many of us connected with the Police in various capacities, joined the prayers from our own homes and offices at 1037 am.
All Police flags at all Police buildings and officers were flying half mast as a mark of respect.
Such was the pensive mood that attendees at most gatherings were speechless.
Twenty-seven-old Constable Matthew Hunt was shot by a man as he approached his car at about 1030 am on Friday, June 19, 2020 in the West Auckland suburb of Massey.
Please read related reports here and here.
Ultimate Sacrifice
A special meeting held at the Memorial Wall at the Royal Police College in Porirua in Wellington saw hundreds of officers led by Police Commissioner Andy Coster mourning the death of the young officer.
“A week on from an event that none of us ever want or should experience, Police is pausing to remember the ultimate sacrifice of one of our own. I encourage every (Police) District to mark the occasion appropriate to them,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner (Maori, Pacifica and Ethnic Services) Wallace Haumaha led a small group of Officers by the flagpole outside the National Headquarters. Among them was National Ethnic Advisor to the Police Inspector Rakesh Naidoo.
“It is a very sad occasion for all of us, and to come together all around the country in remembrance of Matthew, is a part of the healing process for a lot of our staff, who are feeling the loss and thinking about the tragedy as it occurred at 10.37 am last Friday. I am really proud of our communities from Northland to Southland. The messages of support, the outpouring of grief, the anger, the respect has just been enormous, from all four winds of this country,” Mr Haumaha said.
He said that it would be up to the family of Constable Hunt to decide if they wanted the involvement of the Police in his funeral.
“We are in regular contact with the family. The Waitematā District Commander and all officers are working together. Currently, the Officer who was injured at the same time has been discharged from hospital, but remains off work. He is receiving a lot of support from his colleagues and the District Commander,” Mr Haumaha said.
