Auckland police shooting: Graduate cops to honour Matthew Hunt at ceremony

Wednesday, 24 June 2020

Lance Burdett says the ripple effect from his death “will be massive”.

Graduate police officers will wear pins to honour Constable Matthew Hunt, who was killed last Friday, at their graduation ceremony on Wednesday.

Hunt, 28, was shot and killed on Friday during a routine traffic stop in the West Auckland suburb of Massey, in an incident which left another officer and a member of the public injured.

A police spokesperson said 38 people were graduating from their initial training at the Royal New Zealand Police College.

'Like their police colleagues across New Zealand, they have deeply felt the loss of Constable Matthew Hunt, and will wear huia pins to honour him at their graduation,' the spokesperson said.

Constable Matthew Hunt was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Massey, west Auckland.

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'Each pin is a stylised huia tail feather featuring the police chevron, and symbolises the loss of someone special to police.'

Six of those graduating would be working in the Waitematā area - where Hunt had also worked.

Hunt was the 33rd police officer to have been killed in New Zealand in the line of duty since 1890, and the first since 2009.

Hunt joined the New Zealand Police in October 2017, as a member of Wing 312.