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National Police Officers Roll of Honour

Lest We Forget ~ Honouring and Remembering British Police Officers who Lost their Lives in the Line of Duty ~ Lest We Forget

POLICE HOMICIDES

GREAT BRITAIN SINCE 1900

Police Officers of England, Scotland and Wales reported killed in the line of duty by
criminal acts showing method of killing, incident type and court result or other outcome.

  

Year

 Rank Name Force Method Incident

Charge/inquest

 Court result / outcome
1900 PC Alfred Kerns Cheshire

Beaten

 disorderly person Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide
1900 PC John Kew West Riding Shot checking suspect Murder conviction of murder
1900 PC Ernest Thompson Metropolitan Stabbed disorderly person Manslaughter conviction of manslaughter
1901 DC Thomas Hibbs L.N.W. Railway Beaten & Drowned attempting arrest Murder unsolved - suspects acquitted
1901 PC Charles Gunter Birmingham Stoned street disturbance

Murder

 conviction of manslaughter
1903 PC William Price Staffordshire Bludgeoned attempting arrest

Murder

 conviction of manslaughter
1903 PC William Wilkinson Leicestershire Shot revenge attack Murder conviction of murder
1903 PC Edwin Wilce Plymouth

Beaten

 domestic disturbance

Murder

 conviction of manslaughter
1903 PC William Davies Montgomeryshire

Beaten

 disorderly person

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide
1905 PC William Woolley Lincolnshire

Beaten

 disorderly person

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide
1906 PC William McKelvie Hawick

Beaten

 disorderly person

Murder

 conviction of culpable homicide
1907 PC George Leefe North Eastern Rly Stabbed disorderly person

Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide
1907 PC Walter Ford Norfolk Stabbed deranged suspect Murder suspect found insane
1909 PC William Tyler Metropolitan Shot chasing suspects Murder suicide of suspects
1909 PC Charles Alger Great Yarmouth Shot domestic disturbance Murder conviction of murder
1910 Sgt Robert Bentley KPM City of London Shot attempting arrest Murder suspects killed or acquitted
PC Walter Choat KPM
Sgt Charles Tucker KPM
1911 PC Hosea Pope Monmouthshire Bludgeoned disorderly person Manslaughter conviction of manslaughter
1912 Insp Arthur Walls Eastbourne Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1913 Sgt William Crouch Wiltshire Shot revenge attack Murder suicide of suspect
1913 PC Andrew Barton KPM Northumberland Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
DC George Mussell KPM Shot attempting arrest
1915 DC Alfred Young KPM Metropolitan Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of manslaughter
1919 PC James Campbell Glasgow Shot attempting arrest Murder unsolved - no suspects charged
1919 St/Sgt Thomas Green Metropolitan Bludgeoned mob violence / rioting Manslaughter unsolved - suspects acquitted
1919 PC Thomas Rowland Metropolitan

Beaten

 disorderly person Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide
1920 PC James Kelly Metropolitan Shot chasing suspects Murder unsolved - no suspects charged
1920 Insp John Burney Middlesbrough Beaten street disturbance Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide

1921

Sgt

Ernest Crowston

Nottingham

Struck by vehicle

stopping vehicle

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter
1921 Insp Robert Johnston Glasgow Shot prisoner escape Murder unsolved - suspects acquitted (IRA)
1921 PC Peter Munro Lanarkshire Beaten mob violence / rioting

Murder

 conviction of culpable homicide
1924 PC Robert Pritchard Anglesey Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of manslaughter
1925 PC Albert Willits Wolverhampton Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1927 PC Mathew Straughan Durham Shot deranged suspect Murder suspect found insane (on appeal)
1927 PC George Gutteridge Essex Shot checking suspects Murder conviction of murder
1928 PC Henry Leggett Newcastle-on-Tyne Beaten disorderly person * Manslaughter

acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide
1929 PC John Self Metropolitan Beaten checking suspect Manslaughter conviction of manslaughter
1930 D/Sgt Francis Willis Cambridge Shot attempting arrest

Murder

 suicide of suspect
1930 PC Arthur Lawes Metropolitan Struck by Vehicle stolen vehicle

Manslaughter

 unsolved - no suspects charged

1933

PC

Frederick Percy

 Metropolitan Struck by Vehicle

directing traffic

Manslaughter

acquittal - conviction of dangerous driving

1934

PC

James Wright

Manchester

 Struck by Vehicle

directing traffic

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

1935

PC

Harry Forrest

 Lancashire Struck by Vehicle

crowd control

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

1935

PC

James Thomson KPM

 Metropolitan Struck by Vehicle

crowd control

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter
1938 PC John Potter Devon Bludgeoned attempting arrest

Murder

 conviction of murder
1938 PC George Shepherd Metropolitan Dragged by Vehicle stolen vehicle

Murder

conviction of manslaughter
1940 PC William Shiell Durham Shot attempting arrest

Murder

 conviction of murder
1940 PWR Jack Avery Metropolitan Stabbed checking suspect

Murder

conviction, on appeal of manslaughter
1940 ACC Robert Thomson Edinburgh Shot disorderly person Murder conviction of culpable homicide
1940 SC William Mellen Herefordshire Beaten disorderly person Manslaughter acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide
1941 D/Sgt Thomas Dale Rochdale Bomb Explosion checking premises Murder

conviction of manslaughter
D/I Harry Stables
1941 PC Evan Davies Cardiff Shot checking suspects Murder unsolved - no suspects charged

1942

PWR

Joseph Pickering

Lancashire

 Beaten disorderly person Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter
1942 Sgt William Avis DCM West Sussex Shot attempting arrest

Murder

 suspect found insane
1943 PWR

Stephen Cox

Birmingham

Struck by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter
1943 PWR John Towers Blackburn Beaten disorderly person

Manslaughter

 conviction of manslaughter
1944 Insp Francis East Berkshire Dragged by Vehicle attempting arrest

Manslaughter

 conviction of manslaughter
1946 PC Brinley Booth Staffordshire Bludgeoned attempting arrest

Murder

 unsolved - suspect acquitted (in 1956)
1948 PC Nathanael Edgar Metropolitan Shot checking suspect

Murder

 conviction of murder
1951 Sgt William Gibson KC Dumfries/Galloway Shot checking suspect

Murder

 conviction of murder
1951 PC Alan Baxter Kent Shot checking suspect Murder

suspect shot and killed by police
1951 DI Duncan Fraser West Riding Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
PC Arthur Jagger
1952 DC John Macleod QC Glasgow Shot attempting arrest Murder suicide of suspect
1952 PC Sidney Miles KPM Metropolitan Shot attempting arrest Murder convictions of murder
1956 T/Sgt Gerald Rooney Kent Shot terrorist ambush Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus
1956 T/Sgt Reginald Tipple Metropolitan Shot terrorist ambush Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus
1956 T/Sgt Leonard Demmon QPM Metropolitan Shot terrorist ambush Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus
1956 T/Sgt Hugh Carter Herefordshire Shot terrorist ambush Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus
1956 T/Sgt Cyril Thoroughgood Leicestershire Shot terrorist ambush Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus
1958 T/Sgt Stanley Woodward Durham Bomb Explosion terrorist ambush Murder

serving with UK Police Unit in Cyprus
1958 PC Frank Hulme Hertfordshire Beaten street disturbance Manslaughter acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide
1958 DI James O'Donnell QPM Blackburn Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of manslaughter
1958 PC Raymond Summers Metropolitan Stabbed street disturbance Murder conviction of murder
1959 D/Sgt Raymond Purdy Metropolitan Shot prisoner escape Murder conviction of murder
1960 PC Leslie Meehan Metropolitan Dragged by Vehicle checking suspect Murder conviction of murder
1961 Sgt Frederick Hutchins QPM Metropolitan Shot chasing suspect Murder suicide of suspect
Insp Philip Pawsey QPM Shot chasing suspect
1965 PC George Russell QPM Cumberland, West- morland & Carlisle Shot attempting arrest Murder suspect found insane
1965 D/Sgt James Stanford QPM Wolverhampton Stabbed attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1966 PC Geoffrey Fox Metropolitan Shot checking suspects Murder convictions of murder
D/Sgt Christopher Head
DC David Wombwell
1966 PC Brian Armstrong Gateshead Stabbed checking suspects Murder conviction of murder
1967 Insp James Bradley Oxfordshire Struck by Vehicle vehicle pursuit Murder conviction of manslaughter
1967 PC Joseph Drake Stirling Struck by Vehicle stolen vehicle Murder conviciton of culpable homicide
1969 PC Michael Davies Metropolitan Stabbed deranged suspect * Murder conviction of manslaughter
1969 SC George Gates Glasgow Bludgeoned checking suspects * Murder conviction of murder
1969 ADC Angus MacKenzie QPM Glasgow Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1970 PC Edward Barnett QPM
1970 Insp Barry Taylor QC West Yorkshire Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1971 DC Ian Coward QPM Thames Valley Shot checking suspects Murder conviction of murder
1971 Supt Gerald Richardson GC Lancashire Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1972 PC Peter Guthrie QPM Warwickshire Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1973 PC Michael Whiting QPM Metropolitan Dragged by Vehicle checking suspects Murder conviction of manslaughter
1973 PC Dennis Smith QPM Devon & Cornwall Shot checking suspect Murder conviction of murder
1974 PC John Schofield Surrey Shot checking suspect Murder conviction of murder
1975 PC Stephen Tibble QPM Metropolitan Shot chasing suspect * Murder conviction of murder (IRA)
1975 PC David Green West Midlands Stabbed attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1975 ExpO Roger Goad GC BEM Metropolitan Bomb Explosion terrorist attack Murder

conviction of murder (IRA)
1975 Sgt Brian Dawson Leicestershire Shot domestic disturbance Murder conviction of manslaughter
1976 PC George Taylor Strathclyde Struck with Axe checking suspects Murder conviction of murder
1977 DC Norman Garnham North Yorkshire Stabbed attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1977 Sgt Alan Gordon Grampian Dragged by Vehicle checking suspect Murder conviction of culpable homicide
1978 PC Christopher MacDonald Nottinghamshire Beaten & Drowned attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1979 PC Desmond Kellam Wiltshire Struck with Billhook attempting arrest Murder conviction of manslaughter
1980 PC Francis O'Neill QGM Metropolitan Stabbed attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1981 Sgt Michael Hawcroft QC West Yorkshire Stabbed attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1981 PC Raymond Davenport QC Merseyside Dragged by Vehicle stolen vehicle Murder conviction of manslaughter
1981 ExpO Kenneth Howorth GM Metropolitan Bomb Explosion terrorist attack Murder

conviction of murder (IRA)
1982 DC James Porter QC Durham Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1982 PC John Egerton QC Greater Manchester Stabbed attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1982 DC John Sandford Greater Manchester Bludgeoned checking suspect Murder conviction of murder
1982 PC David Haigh North Yorkshire Shot checking suspect Murder suicide of suspect
1982 Sgt David Winter North Yorkshire Shot checking suspect Murder
1982 WPC Mandy Rayner Hertfordshire Struck by Vehicle vehicle pursuit Manslaughter conviction of manslaughter
1983 D/Sgt Ross Hunt Strathclyde Stabbed attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1983 WPC Jane Arbuthnot Metropolitan Bomb Explosion terrorist attack Murder

unsolved - no suspects charged (IRA)
Sgt Noel Lane
Insp Stephen Dodd

1984

PC

Stephen Jones

 Metropolitan Struck by Vehicle

stopping vehicle

D/Driving

conviction of death by reckless driving

1984 WPC Yvonne Fletcher Metropolitan Shot terrorist attack Murder

unsolved - no suspects charged (Libyan)
1984 A/Sgt Brian Bishop Essex Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1984 Sgt John Speed QC West Yorkshire Shot checking suspects Murder suspect shot and killed himself
1985 DC John Fordham Metropolitan Stabbed surveillance duty Murder acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide
1985 PC Keith Blakelock QGM Metropolitan Stabbed mob violence / rioting Murder unsolved - suspects acquitted (on appeal)
1986 PC

Martin Bell

 Metropolitan

Struck by Vehicle

vehicle pursuit

D/Ddriving

conviction of death by dangerous driving

1986 PC John Taylor Staffordshire Beaten / Fall attempting arrest Murder conviction of manslaughter
1987 PC Ian Woodward Lancashire Shot checking suspect * Murder conviction of murder
1987 PC Ronan McCloskey Metropolitan Dragged by Vehicle attempting arrest Murder conviction of manslaughter
1987 PC Roger Brereton QC Thames Valley Shot checking suspect Murder suicide of suspect
1988 PC Frank Mason QGM Hertfordshire Shot attempting arrest * Murder conviction of murder
1988 PC Gavin Carlton QC West Midlands Shot chasing suspects Murder suicide of suspect
1989 PC Anthony Salt West Midlands Beaten/Fall surveillance duty Manslaughter acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide
1989

Insp

Raymond Codling

Greater Manchester

Shot

 checking suspect Murder suicide of suspect
1990 PC Laurence Brown Metropolitan Shot checking suspect Murder conviction of murder
1991 PC Robert Gladwell Metropolitan Beaten attempting arrest Murder conviction of manslaughter
1991 PC Duncan Clift Kent Struck by Vehicle stolen vehicle * Murder unsolved - suspect acquitted

1991

A/Sgt

Simon Lilley

Northamptonshire

 Struck by Vehicle

stopping vehicle

 Manslaughter

conviction of death by dangerous driving

1991 Sgt Alan King QC Metropolitan Stabbed checking suspect Murder conviction of murder
1991 DC James Morrison QGM Metropolitan Stabbed attempting arrest * Murder unsolved - no suspects charged
1992 SC Glen Goodman QC North Yorkshire Shot checking suspects Murder conviction of murder (IRA)
1993 Sgt William Forth QC Northumbria Stabbed attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1993 PC Patrick Dunne Metropolitan Shot suspicious incident Murder conviction of murder (in 2006)
1994 Sgt Derek Robertson QGM Metropolitan Stabbed attempting arrest Murder conviction of murder
1994 PC Lewis Fulton QC Strathclyde Stabbed attempting arrest Murder suspect found insane
1995 PC Phillip Walters Metropolitan Shot attempting arrest Murder conviction of manslaughter
1997 WPC Nina MacKay Metropolitan Stabbed attempting arrest Murder conviction of manslaughter

1999

PC

Jeffrey Tooley

Sussex

Struck by Vehicle

stopping vehicle

 D/Driving

conviction of death by dangerous driving

1999 PC Stephen Jones Avon & Somerset

Struck by Vehicle

 stolen vehicle Manslaughter

conviction of death by dangerous driving

1999 PC Raja Ahmed Greater Manchester

Struck by Vehicle

 stolen vehicle Murder conviction of murder

2000

 PC

Jonathan Odell

Kent

Struck by Vehicle

stopping vehicle

 Murder conviction of manslaughter

2001

 PC

Alison Armitage

 Greater Manchester

Struck by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

 Murder conviction of manslaughter

2001

 PC

Malcolm Walker

West Midlands

Struck by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

 Murder conviction of murder

2002

 PC

Bryan Moore

Leicestershire

Struck by Vehicle

vehicle pursuit

 Murder conviction of manslaughter
(Moore - on appeal)
PC

Andrew Munn

 Murder

2003

PC

Gerald Walker

Nottinghamshire

 Dragged by Vehicle

attempting arrest

 Murder

conviction of manslaughter

2003

DC

Stephen Oake QGM

 Greater Manchester

Stabbed

prisoner escape

Murder

conviction of murder (suspected terrorist)

2003

PC

Ian Broadhurst

West Yorkshire

Shot

attempting arrest

Murder

conviction of murder

2004

DC

Michael Swindells QGM

West Midlands

Stabbed

attempting arrest

Murder

conviction of manslaughter

2005

PC

Sharon Beshenivsky

West Yorkshire

Shot

at crime scene

Murder

conviction of murder

2006

PC

Joseph Carroll

Northumbria

Vehicle Crash

prisoner escape

Manslaughter

conviction of manslaughter

2007

PC

Richard Gray QC

West Mercia

Shot

 domestic disturbance

Murder

 suicide of suspect

2007

PC

Jonathan Henry QC

Bedfordshire

Stabbed

attempting arrest

Murder

 conviction of murder

2012

PC

Ian Andrew Dibell GM

Essex

Shot

checking suspect *

Murder

 suicide of suspect

2012

PC

Fiona Bone

Greater Manchester

Shot

in ambush attending routine incident

Murder

 conviction of murder

PC

Nicola Hughes

2015

PC

David Phillips

Merseyside

Struck by Vehicle

stolen vehicle

Murder

 conviction of manslaughter

2017

PC

Keith Palmer GM

Metropolitan

Stabbed

terrorist attack

Murder

 suspect shot dead by police

2019

PC

Andrew Harper

Thames Valley

 Dragged by Vehicle

attempting arrest

Murder

convictions of manslaughter
2020 Sgt Matui Ratana Metropolitan Shot in custody suite Pending Pending
 
NOTES

* = Off Duty where the officers' actions or the motive for killing places them in the line of duty.

'disorderly' includes 'drunk and disorderly'

'prisoner escape' includes attempted escape

Criminal Acts: This list includes deaths reported as homicide offences
i.e. where there was a charge or inquest verdict of unlawful killing, murder or manslaughter (culpable homicide in Scotland).

Deaths involving stolen vehicles or the criminal use of  vehicles to evade arrest usually result in a homicide offence. Also included are offences of 'causing death by reckless or dangerous driving', where an officer was attempting to stop a vehicle or otherwise engaged on traffic control. This offence was established by the Road Traffic Act 1956 prior to which causing death by reckless driving would be charged as manslaughter.

Outcome: Cases where suspects were not proceeded against or acquitted due to insufficient evidence as to cause of death, or on the grounds of accident or self defence or other grounds where a homicide offence was not substantiated are shown as:
"acquittal - insufficient evidence of homicide". Such acquittals may not officially be currently recorded as homicide offences.

Cases where suspects are acquitted due to insufficient evidence of their involvement in a homicide offence are shown as:
"unsolved - suspect(s) acquitted". Such acquittals would remain recorded as homicide.

The list does not include deaths that occurred over a year after an injury was inflicted or other cases where death may have resulted from criminal assaults but there was no charge or inquest verdict of homicide. It does not include causing death by reckless or dangerous driving, or motor manslaughter, arising out of road traffic collisions where an officer was on routine patrol and not engaged in any duty relating to the collision.

Rank Abbreviations:-

 Method:   / = and/or

Posthumous Gallantry Awards:

A - Acting,
ACC - Assistant Ch/C,
C - Constable,
Ch - Chief,
D - Detective,
Expo - Explosives Officer (civil staff),
I(nsp) - Inspector,
P - Police,
PWR - Police War Reserve,
R - Reserve,
S - Special,
Sgt - Sergeant,
St - Station,
Supt - Superintendent,
T - Temporary,
W - Woman.

"Beaten" - includes hitting, kicking, struggle etc.,

"Bludgeoned" - includes use of any blunt instrument,

"Stabbed" - includes use of any sharp instrument,

"Stoned" - includes any thrown stone or similar missile,

"D/Driving" - causing death by reckless / dangerous / drunk driving.

 

(In order of precedence)

GC - George Cross

GM - George Medal

KPM - King's Police Medal

QPM - Queen's Police Medal

QGM - Queen's Gallantry Medal

KC - King's Commendation for Brave Conduct

QC - Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct

Note - KC/QC is not an official post-nominal use but is used here so as to include all Sovereign's bravery awards. 

The grave of Superintendent Gerald Richardson GC bears an epitaph relevant to all who have made the ultimate sacrifice

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Page updated 28 September 2020
National Police Officers Roll of Honour Copyright © Anthony Rae MA 1985-2020

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