NSW Police assaults: research shows 12 cops killed following public assault

They hold the thin blue line that keeps our communities safe, but data has revealed NSW police officers account for the highest number of Australian cops killed after being assaulted by members of the public. SEE THE FULL LIST OF DEATHS HERE.

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A Detective Inspector responding to a neighbourhood dispute, a Senior Constable performing a random breath test, a Detective Constable who was executing a search warrant, a Constable who engaged with a stolen vehicle while on traffic duties and an officer walking out of Police HQ.

These are the scenarios the NSW Police force officers faced before they were killed by members of the public while serving their community.

An Australian National University investigation by Dr Kelly Hine has uncovered 39 Australian police officer fatalities between 2002 and 2019, with 12 fatalities as a result of an assault against a police officer.

Supplied undated image obtained Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 of NSW Police accountant Curtis Cheng who was shot dead outside NSW Police Headquarters in Parramatta, in Sydney's west on October 2, by 15-year-old gunman Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad, who was killed by officers responding to the shooting. (AAP Image/NSW Police)

As part of her submission into the NSW Parliamentary inquiry into assaults on members of the NSW Police Force, Dr Hine revealed NSW Police had the largest number of fatalities

“The New South Wales Police Force is the largest police agency in Australia in terms of both the number of officers and the size of the population they police,” Dr Hine said in her submission. “Majority of the assault fatalities were officers from the NSW Police (with) 5 cases.

“This number is followed, perhaps again in a reflection of relative size, by Queensland (4 cases; 10.26per cent), Victoria (2 cases; 5.13 per cen), and the Australian Federal Police (1 case; 2.56per cent).”

The ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods lecturer said her analysis revealed that the officers were of various ranks and were performing a range of duties at the time of the assault leading to the fatality.

AUSTRALIAN STORY – Detective Inspector Bryson Anderson the officer killed by an axe attack in Oakville.

“The findings from this study suggest that, despite being a relatively rare occurrence, serious assaults do occur that result in officer fatalities,” Dr Hine said.

“These events tend to be extreme and violent occurrences without any specific trend or pattern

regarding the experience of officers, nor the call for service.”

In its submission, the NSW Police Force said any attack on our police and the work that they do in protecting the community is condemned and offensive.

Police officer, Constable William Crews, who was shot during a drug raid in Bankstown, Sydney on September 8, 2010.

“On average, 200 police officers are assaulted every single month. That’s around six or seven officers every 24 hours,” a spokesman said.

“The NSW Police Force would welcome the outcome of this Inquiry in due course and to identify if any improvements can be made to the already existing programs and strategies in place to engage with the community.”

Commissioner Andrew Scipione at the 10th Anniversary Memorial of Senior Constable Glenn McEnallay at Glenn McEnallay Reserve, Sutherland Street Mascot.

The parliamentary inquiry comes as the Upper House debate major amendments to sentencing for people that assault emergency services officers.

The amendments would see a three-strike system installed, which would result in a minimum three-month imprisonment for repeat offenders who attack emergency services workers for a third time.

NSW POLICE HONOUR ROLL — KILLED BY ASSAULT

2 Mar 1916 – Sgt 1/C William Bowen – assaulted whilst effecting an arrest

26 Sep 1916 – Const George Duncan – shot by two offenders at Police Station

11 Dec 1917 – Sgt 2/C Ramsay Dobbie – injured whilst effecting an arrest

17 Dec 1920 – Const 1/C Frederick Mitchell – shot by an offender

21 Jan 1921 – Const Frederick Wolgast – shot by an offender

9 Mar 1924 – Const James Flynn – shot by an escaping prisoner

3 Jan 1931 – Const Norman Allen – shot whilst effecting an arrest

3 Jan 1931 – Const Ernest Andrews – shot and stabbed by an offender

27 Feb 1939 – Const Lionel Guise – shot whilst effecting an arrest

25 Apr 1940 – Det Const 1/C John Dunn – shot whilst effecting an arrest

31 Jul 1943 – Const George Matthews – assaulted whilst effecting an arrest

12 Jan 1945 – Sgt 3/C Eric Bailey – shot whilst effecting an arrest (posthumously awarded the George Cross)

11 Aug 1946 – Det Const 1/C Victor Ahearn – shot by escaping prisoners

29 Apr 1956 – Sgt 2/C Cecil Ellis – injuries sustained whilst effecting an arrest

22 Aug 1956 – Sgt 3/C Allen Nash – shot by an offender (posthumously awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry)

30 Jul 1957 – Const 1/C Kenneth Coussens – private residence bombed (his wife and baby child were also killed in the explosion)

26 Apr 1958- Const 1/C Athol Johnson – stabbed whilst effecting an arrest

13 Oct 1960 – Sen Const Clarence Pirie – shot whilst effecting an arrest

20 Dec 1963 – Sgt 3/C Cyril Howe – shot whilst effecting an arrest (posthumously awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry)

8 Oct 1968 – Sgt 2/C Adam Schell – shot whilst effecting an arrest

13 Aug 1971 – Sen Const William King – shot by an offender at Police Residence

30 Sep 1971 – Sgt 1/C William Riley – shot whilst effecting an arrest (posthumously awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry)

30 Sep 1971- Sgt 3/C Maurice McDiarmid – shot whilst effecting an arrest (posthumously awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry)

30 Apr 1977 – Sen Const Douglas Eaton – shot by offenders (posthumously awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry)

19 Jan 1980 – Det Sgt 1/C Reginald Stevenson – injuries sustained when shot by an offender in 1974 (awarded Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct)

24 Nov 1980 – Sgt 3/C Keith Haydon – shot by an offender

4 Apr 1984 – Const Pashalis Katsivelas – shot by an escaping prisoner

30 Mar 1986 – Sgt 3/C Paul Quinn – shot by an offender following a pursuit

25 Oct 1988 – Const Brett Sinclair – injuries sustained whilst effecting an arrest (posthumously awarded the Commissioner’s Valour Award)

5 May 1989 – Const Allan McQueen – shot whilst effecting an arrest (posthumously awarded the Star of Courage)

9 Jul 1995 – Sen Const Peter Addison – shot by an offender (posthumously awarded the Commissioner’s Valour Award)

9 Jul 1995 – Sen Const Robert Spears – shot by an offender (posthumously awarded the Commissioner’s Valour Award)

18 Apr 1997 – Const David Carty – stabbed during an affray

28 Feb 1998 – Const Peter Forsyth – stabbed whilst effecting an arrest (posthumously awarded the Commissioner’s Valour Award)

3 Apr 2002 – Const Glenn McEnallay – shot by an offender following a pursuit (posthumously awarded Commissioner’s Valour Award)

9 Sept 2010 – Det Const William Arthur George Crews – shot during the execution of a search warrant in Bankstown NSW. (Posthumously awarded Commissioner’s Valour Award).

2 Mar 2012 - Sen Const David James Rixon - shot whilst conducting a traffic stop in Tamworth NSW. (Posthumously awarded Commissioner’s Valour Award).

Dec 2012 – Det Insp Bryson Charles Anderson – stabbed at a siege in Oakville NSW. (Posthumously awarded Commissioner’s Valour Award)

2 Oct 2015 – Mr Curtis Cheng – shot and killed outside Police Headquarters.