Auckland police shooting: Police display 'thin blue line' image in memory of officer
Friday, 19 June 2020
New Zealand Police has changed its social media imagery to depict a 'Thin Blue Line' to commemorate the officer shot dead in Auckland.
The officer died after two were shot and another person was hit by a fleeing car in West Auckland on Friday morning.
The two officers were shot at during a routine traffic stop in Reynella Dr, in Massey, about 10.30am.
The officer was the 33rd to have been killed in the line of duty since 1890, and the first in more than a decade.
**READ MORE:
* 33 New Zealand police officers have died in the line of duty
* One officer shot dead, one injured and another person hit by car in West Auckland's Massey
* The Detail: What went wrong with the New Zealand Armed Response Team?
**
New Zealand Police updated its social media profiles with the photo on Friday afternoon to a black square with a bright blue line running through the middle.
The Thin Blue Line is often used to commemorate injured or fallen law enforcement officers.
The blue centre line is said to represent law enforcement, the top black stripe represents the public and the bottom black line represents criminals.
A New Zealand Police spokeswoman told Stuff the thin blue line is an internationally recognised symbol of law enforcement, and black is the colour of mourning.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the incident was 'devastating news and absolutely the worst thing for us to deal with'.
'We have lost a colleague and friend in our Police whānau.'
'Our thoughts are with the officer’s family and loved ones, and with the other officer and member of the public who were injured in the same incident and their loved ones.'
The second officer is in hospital with serious injuries after being shot in the leg, while the person hit by the car received minor injuries.
Before today's incident, the most recent officer to die on duty was Len Snee in January 2009.
Snee was shot dead by Jan Molenaar while executing a routine search warrant at Molenaar's Napier home, in an incident that became known as the Napier Siege.
The 'Thin Blue Line' image has been at the centre of controversy in the United States in recent weeks, largely linked to the use of the 'Thin Blue Line' American flag.
In May, officers from the San Francisco Police Department were told not to wear 'Thin Blue Line' face masks while out on the job, due to concerns from community members that the masks 'may be perceived as divisive or disrespectful'.