This article includes only those serving police officers who were killed as a direct result of a crime or while attempting to respond, prevent, stop or solve a specific criminal act. The list omits war-time deaths by enemy fire, such as the many police officers killed by air raids during the Second World War [1] including 100 killed in the Metropolitan Police area [2] . The list also omits the more than 300 officers of the former Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) killed in paramilitary assassinations or attacks during The Troubles. [3]
Name | Rank | Age | Force | Date of death | Circumstances |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Desmond Acreman | PC | 33 | Metropolitan Police | 12 February 1967 | Accidentally run over while pursuing suspected thieves in Woolwich. [4] [a] |
Ronald Addison | PC | 24 | Metropolitan Police | 24 January 1960 | Collapsed and died of heart failure while pursuing suspects [5] |
Raja Ahmed | PC | 35 | Greater Manchester Police | 31 August 1999 | Motorcycle rammed into oncoming traffic by suspect [6] |
Jane Arbuthnot | WPC | 22 | Metropolitan Police | 17 December 1983 | Killed in the Harrods bombing [7] |
Alison Armitage | PC | 29 | Greater Manchester Police | 5 March 2001 | Run over by suspect [8] |
Jack Avery | WRC | 28 | Metropolitan Police | 6 July 1940 | stabbed by a suspect he was interrogating in Hyde Park [9] |
Edward Barnett | PC | 24 | City of Glasgow Police | 4 January 1970 | Shot during the Linwood bank robbery. |
Clive Barratt | DC | 35 | Suffolk Constabulary | 28 July 1999 | Motorcycle accident while on surveillance duty [10] |
Andrew Barton | Sergeant | 40 | Northumbria Police | 15 April 1913 | Shot [11] [b] |
Harry Battley | DS | 36 | Metropolitan Police | 1 February 1945 | Killed in an aeroplane crash off Lampedusa in the Mediterranean on special branch duty [9] |
Douglas Beckerson | PC | 22 | Metropolitan Police | 10 April 1971 | Fell through a roof while pursuing suspect [12] |
Robert Bentley | Sergeant | 36 | City of London Police | 17 December 1910 | Shot during the Houndsditch murders |
Sharon Beshenivsky | PC | 38 | West Yorkshire Police | 18 November 2005 | Shot while responding to an armed robbery [8] |
Thomas Biddlecombe | PC | 47 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 18 December 1916 | Whilst patrolling Thornford Road, Sherborne, he took severely ill and was taken by ambulance to Yeatman Hospital where he died. |
Walter Billett | WRC | 61 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 5 July 1940 | Killed in a fall from his bicycle while reporting for duty in the blackout. |
Brian Bishop | Acting sergeant | 37 | Essex Police | 27 August 1984 | Shot |
Thomas Bishop | PC | 39 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 21 September 1877 | Fatally bludgeoned with stones by a drunken man he had warned. The incident occurred in Bere Regis following the Woodbury Hill Fair. [13] |
Keith Blakelock | PC | 40 | Metropolitan Police | 6 October 1985 | Stabbed in the Broadwater Farm riot [14] |
Fiona Bone | PC | 32 | Greater Manchester Police | 18 September 2012 | Killed in gun and grenade ambush alongside PC Nicola Hughes |
Roger Brereton | PC | 41 | Thames Valley Police | 19 August 1987 | Shot in the Hungerford massacre [15] |
Ian Broadhurst | PC | 34 | West Yorkshire Police | 26 December 2003 | Shot during the Leeds police shootings [8] |
Laurence Brown | PC | 27 | Metropolitan Police | 28 August 1990 | Shot [16] |
Gareth Browning | PC | 36 | Thames Valley Police | 1 April 2017 | Struck by suspect vehicle while deploying a stinger in 2013 [17] |
Cecil Budden | PC | 27 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 19 May 1957 | Fatally injured in a collision with a car while on motorcycle patrol. |
Dugald Campbell | Watchman | unknown | Edinburgh City Police | 3 January 1812 | Killed whilst attempting to stop a robbery during the Tron riot. [18] |
Gavin Carlton | PC | 29 | West Midlands Police | 19 December 1988 | Shot while attempting to arrest armed bank robbers [19] |
Joseph Carroll | PC | 46 | Northumbria Police | 13 April 2006 | Traffic collision while transporting a prisoner [8] |
Stephen Carroll | PC | 48 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 9 March 2009 | Shot by Republican terrorists whilst responding to 999 call. [20] |
Adele Cashman | DC | 30 | Metropolitan Police | 5 November 2012 | Collapsed while pursuing robbery suspects [21] |
Walter Choat | PC | 34 | City of London Police | 17 December 1910 | Shot during the Houndsditch murders |
Duncan Clift | PC | 27 | Kent Police | 22 March 1991 | Killed off duty while trying to arrest car thief. [22] |
Raymond Codling | Inspector | 49 | Greater Manchester Police | 14 September 1989 | Shot [23] |
Glenn Corder | PC | 18 | Durham Constabulary | 6 February 1980 | Vehicle crashed during police pursuit [24] |
Ian Coward | DC | 28 | Thames Valley Police | 23 July 1971 | Shot whilst on duty. [25] [26] |
Raymond Davenport | PC | 42 | Merseyside Police | 4 July 1981 | Killed whilst attempting to stop a stolen vehicle [27] |
Brian Dawson | Sergeant | 42 | Leicestershire Police | 1 September 1975 | Shot during a siege in West Knighton, near Leicester. Two others were also shot dead, with the gunman later being imprisoned on charges of manslaughter. [28] [29] [30] |
Ian Dibell | PC | 41 | Essex Police | 9 July 2012 | Shot while off duty and confronting an armed man [31] |
Edward Dorney | PC | 24 | Metropolitan Police | 1 January 1960 | Killed along with Police Dog Gus when hit by a train whilst pursuing burglary suspects. [32] |
Nicholas Dumphreys | PC | 47 | Cumbria Police | 26 January 2020 | Car accident caused by known fault within the N57 engine in the BMW police vehicle he was driving whilst responding to emergency call. [33] [34] |
Andrew Duncan | PC | 47 | Metropolitan Police | 22 September 2013 | Fatally injured when struck by vehicle he attempted to stop while carrying out speed enforcement. [35] |
Patrick Dunne | PC | 44 | Metropolitan Police | 20 October 1993 | Fatally shot while attending domestic dispute [36] |
Sandra Edwards | WPC | 28 | South Yorkshire Police | 10 May 1995 | Died two days after sustaining fatal injuries when her police vehicle crashed while in pursuit of a stolen car. [37] |
Richard Ellerker | PC | 42 | North Yorkshire Police | 26 December 1993 | Collapsed and died shortly after arresting a violent, drunk suspect [38] |
Dave Fields | PC | 45 | South Yorkshire Police | 25 December 2017 | Fatally injured in a road traffic accident when his vehicle aquaplaned while responding to an emergency incident. [39] |
Yvonne Fletcher | WPC | 25 | Metropolitan Police | 17 April 1984 | Shot [40] |
John Fordham | DC | 45 | Metropolitan Police | 26 January 1985 | Stabbed during surveillance relating to the Brink's-Mat robbery. |
William Forth | Sergeant | 34 | Northumbria Police | 21 March 1993 | Beaten and stabbed to death after answering a 999 call. [41] |
Geoffrey Fox | PC | 41 | Metropolitan Police | 12 August 1966 | Shot in the Shepherd's Bush Murders, alongside Christopher Head and David Wombwell [8] |
Lewis Fulton | PC | 28 | Strathclyde Police | 17 June 1994 | Stabbed [42] [c] |
Roger Goad | CEO | 40 | Metropolitan Police | 25 August 1975 | Killed by an IRA bomb |
Glenn Goodman | SPC | 37 | North Yorkshire Police | 7 June 1992 | Shot by IRA member Paul Magee during routine traffic stop [43] |
Kevin Gorman | PC | 24 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 23 November 2008 | Car accident whilst responding to emergency call. [20] |
Harold Grainger | PC | 35 | South Yorkshire Police | 26 October 1974 | Killed in a police vehicle accident while escorting a prisoner. [44] |
Richard Gray | PC | 43 | West Mercia Constabulary | 6 May 2007 | Shot [45] |
Thomas Green | Sergeant | 51 | Surrey Police | 18 February 1919 | Died following a blow to the head with an iron bar during the Epsom riot. |
Declan Greene | PC | 39 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 23 November 2008 | Car accident whilst responding to emergency call. [20] |
Peter Guthrie | PC | 21 | West Midlands Police | 22 July 1972 | Shot [46] |
George Gutteridge | PC | 31 | Essex Police | 27 September 1927 | Shot. |
David Haigh | PC | 25 | North Yorkshire Police | 17 June 1982 | Shot by Barry Prudom [47] |
Andrew Harper | PC | 28 | Thames Valley Police | 15 August 2019 | Dragged by vehicle while investigating a burglary report [48] |
Christopher Hart | PC | 40 | Greater Manchester Police | 12 January 2008 | Killed in a collision between a car and his police van whilst responding to an emergency incident. [49] |
Alfred Head | PC | 46 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 19 October 1938 | Fatally injured in a road collision cycling to court in bad weather. |
Christopher Head | DS | 30 | Metropolitan Police | 12 August 1966 | Shot in the Shepherd's Bush Murders alongside Geoffrey Fox and David Wombwell [8] |
Jonathan Henry | PC | 36 | Bedfordshire Police | 11 June 2007 | Stabbed responding to 999 call [50] |
Glen Howe | PC | 48 | South Yorkshire Police | 24 October 2008 | Fatally injured in a road traffic accident while responding to an emergency incident. [51] |
Kenneth Howorth | CEO | 49 | Metropolitan Police | 26 October 1981 | Killed by an IRA bomb |
Nicola Hughes | PC | 23 | Greater Manchester Police | 18 September 2012 | Killed in gun and grenade ambush alongside PC Fiona Bone. |
Kenneth Innell | Inspector | 44 | Dorset Police | 13 December 1982 | Collapsed and died during an incident on duty at Poole Quay. |
Kenneth Irvine | PC | 30 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 23 November 2008 | Car accident whilst responding to emergency call. [20] |
Thomas Jackson | PC | 46 | South Yorkshire Police | 13 December 2003 | Collapsed and died while dispersing rival football crowds with his police dog. [52] |
Andrew James | PC | 38 | South Wales Police | 2 August 2003 | Accidentally run over while pursuing suspect [53] [d] |
Ieuan Jeffreys | PC | 31 | Merseyside Police | 4 May 1941 | Killed investigating an unexploded bomb on aiding duty in Liverpool. [54] |
Karpal Kaur Sandhu | PC | 30 | Metropolitan Police | 4 November 1973 | Fatally injured during an arrest [55] |
Desmond Kellam | PC | 31 | Wiltshire Constabulary | 3 October 1979 | Fatally injured during an arrest [56] |
Ronan Kerr | PC | 25 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 2 April 2011 | Killed by a Republican terrorist car bomb outside his home. [20] |
John Kew | PC | 29 | West Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary | 11 July 1900 | Shot [57] [e] |
Robert Kidd | DS | 37 | London & North Western Railway Police | 29 September 1895 | Fatally injured during an arrest [58] |
Alan King | Sergeant | 41 | Metropolitan Police | 29 November 1991 | Stabbed while questioning a male suspected of handling stolen goods [59] |
Matt Lannie | PC | 40 | South Yorkshire Police | 21 April 2020 | Fatally injured in a motorcycle accident while responding to an incident. [60] |
Sidney Loader | PC | 40 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 8 September 1938 | Fatally injured in a collision with a car while on cycle patrol. |
Nina MacKay | WPC | 25 | Metropolitan Police | 24 October 1997 | Stabbed [61] |
Angus MacKenzie | A/DC | 31 | City of Glasgow Police | 30 December 1969 | Shot during the Linwood bank robbery |
James Magee | PC | 27 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 23 November 2008 | Car accident while responding to emergency call. [20] |
Stanley Marsh | PC | 24 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 9 February 1939 | Died as a result of injuries received in 1938 when he attempted to stop a car. |
Francis Mason | PC | 27 | Hertfordshire Constabulary | 14 April 1988 | Shot while off-duty, attempting to prevent an armed robbery. Posthumously awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal. [62] [63] |
Ronan McCloskey | PC | 25 | Metropolitan Police | 9 May 1987 | Struck by motor vehicle by suspected drink driver trying to escape. [64] |
Christopher McDonald | PC | 19 | Nottinghamshire Police | 17 May 1978 | Beaten [65] |
Sidney Miles | PC | 42 | Metropolitan Police | 2 November 1952 | Shot whilst responding to a burglary |
Hugh Moore | Cmdr | 64 | City of London Police | 4 December 1993 | Collapsed after an arrest |
Jim Morrison | DC | 26 | Metropolitan Police | 13 December 1991 | Stabbed while off-duty, attempting to arrest a thief. [66] |
Andrew Munn | PC | 37 | Leicestershire Constabulary | 15 August 2002 | Rammed by vehicle being pursued. Same incident as PC Bryan Moore. [67] |
Bryan Moore | PC | 39 | Leicestershire Constabulary | 15 August 2002 | Rammed by vehicle being pursued. Same incident as PC Andrew Munn. [67] |
George Mussell | PC | 40 | Northumberland County Constabulary | 15 April 1913 | Shot [11] [f] |
Stephen Oake | DC | 40 | Greater Manchester Police | 14 January 2003 | Stabbed [8] |
Jon Odell | PC | 30 | Kent Police | 19 December 2000 | While conducting speed checks was intentionally run over by disqualified driver. [68] [69] |
Sean Oxford | SPC | 21 | Dorset Police | 7 May 1992 | Collapsed and died during warm up exercises in preparation for self defence training. |
Keith Palmer | PC | 48 | Metropolitan Police | 22 March 2017 | Stabbed during Westminster terrorist attack |
David Phillips | PC | 34 | Merseyside Police | 5 October 2015 | Run over whilst attempting to deploy a Stop Stick device in a pursuit [70] [71] [72] |
Harry Pickett | PC | 51 | Metropolitan Police | 15 May 1943 | Killed when struck by a passing lorry while questioning a suspect [9] |
Jim Porter | DC | 31 | Durham Constabulary | 4 March 1982 | Shot in pursuit of armed robbers. [73] |
Matt Ratana | Sergeant | 54 | Metropolitan Police | 25 September 2020 | Shot while a man was being detained in a police custody centre [74] [75] |
Mandy Rayner | WPC | 18 | Hertfordshire Constabulary | 13 October 1982 | Vehicle struck during police pursuit. She was the first British woman police officer to be killed in service. [76] |
Phillipa Reynolds | PC | 27 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 9 February 2013 | Killed when a stolen car hit her police car. [20] |
Gerry Richardson | Supt | 38 | Lancashire Constabulary | 23 August 1971 | Shot |
Derek Robertson | Sergeant | 39 | Metropolitan Police | 9 February 1994 | Stabbed during post office robbery. [77] [78] |
Gina Rutherford | WPC | 25 | South Yorkshire Police | 7 February 1994 | Drowned when her police car skidded off an icy road and plunged upside down into a river. [79] [80] |
Barry Saunders | PC | 31 | South Yorkshire Police | 24 November 1989 | Killed when he fell thirty feet through a sky-light while checking the roof of burgled factory premises. [81] |
Graham Saville | Sergeant | 46 | Nottinghamshire Police | 29 August 2023 | Fatally injured when struck by a train, while trying to reach a distressed man on the track. [g] |
Kulwant Sidhu | PC | 24 | Metropolitan Police | 24 October 1999 | Died after plunging through a glass panel on the roof of an industrial building, while chasing two suspected burglars. [82] |
Dennis Smith | PC | 44 | Devon and Cornwall Police | 21 December 1973 | Shot after high speed pursuit [83] |
George Snipe | PC | 29 | Birmingham City Police | 19 July 1897 | PC Snipe was attempting an arrest at the Star Public House in Hockley, when a mob turned upon him and his colleague PC Mead. They attempted to find shelter in the local church, but a brick thrown at them hit him on the head, he died in hospital 4 hours later. |
Ernest Southern | PC | 35 | Lancashire Constabulary | 27 January 1962 | Collapsed attending a violent street affray. [84] [h] |
John Speed | Sergeant | 39 | West Yorkshire Police | 31 October 1984 | Shot while going to aid of a colleague who had been fired on, near Leeds Parish Church. [85] |
Michael Swindells | DC | 44 | West Midlands Police | 21 May 2004 | Stabbed [8] |
Barry Taylor | Inspector | 30 | West Yorkshire Police | 15 February 1970 | Shot while responding to a burglary. [86] |
John Taylor | PC | 26 | Staffordshire Police | 23 November 1986 | Pushed off the 7th floor of a block of flats while arresting burglars. [87] |
Robert Thomson | ACC | 38 | Edinburgh City Police | 16 July 1940 | Shot [88] |
Stephen Tibble | PC | 21 | Metropolitan Police | 26 February 1975 | Shot while assisting colleague when off-duty [89] [i] |
Gary Toms | PC | 37 | Metropolitan Police | 11 April 2009 | Thrown from police vehicle during pursuit [8] |
Ian Toomer | Inspector | 50 | Dorset Police | 20 April 1999 | Killed in a road collision when his police car crashed in wet weather. |
Charles Tucker | Sergeant | 46 | City of London Police | 16 December 1910 | Shot during the Houndsditch murders |
William Tyler | PC | 31 | Metropolitan Police | 29 January 1909 | Shot during the Tottenham Outrage |
Wilfred Viney | PC | 31 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 25 July 1930 | Killed riding pillion in a motorcycle collision on plain clothes night patrol. |
Ged Walker | PC | 42 | Nottinghamshire Police | 9 January 2003 | Run over |
Arthur Walls | Inspector | 44 | Eastbourne Borough Police | 9 October 1912 | Shot |
Phillip Walters | PC | 28 | Metropolitan Police | 18 April 1995 | Shot |
Stephen Wilson | PC | 37 | Dorset Police | 16 May 1996 | Fatally injured in a motorcycle collision while reporting for night duty. |
David Winter | Sergeant | 31 | North Yorkshire Police | 28 June 1982 | Shot by Barry Prudom [47] |
David Wombwell | DC | 25 | Metropolitan Police | 12 August 1966 | Shot during the Shepherd's Bush Murders alongside Geoffrey Fox and Christopher Head [8] |
Sidney Wood | PC | 27 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 26 April 1908 | Died after crashing his bicycle on a steep hill searching for a thief |
Ian Woodward | PC | 33 | Lancashire Police | 25 February 1987 | Shot after challenging poacher off-duty. [90] |
James Wright | PC | 38 | Manchester City Police | 20 June 1934 | Run over [91] [j] |