Auckland shooting: Former cop sells artwork to fundraise for family of slain officer

Monday, 22 June 2020

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

A former police officer has created a piece of art which will be auctioned off to fundraise for the family of a young officer killed in Auckland.

David Laumatia, who had been a senior sergeant in the Counties Manukau area for over 30 years, said news of Constable Matthew Hunt's death on Friday had affected him deeply.

Hunt, 28, was shot and killed 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.

'I have two sons and a brother who are still in the police force, so the news hit pretty hard for me, it's something no officer wants to hear,' Laumatia said.

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Laumatia created the artwork as a way to process his own emotions around the death of Constable Hunt.

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Matthew Hunt died while on duty in Auckland.

In memory of Hunt, he decided to create an artwork which depicted an angel crying over an image of the 'thin blue line'.

The line is used to commemorate injured or fallen law enforcement officers.

David Laumatia also contributed to the appearance of Manukau District Police station holding cells by painting a mural in a cell a few years prior.

'I often use artwork to express how I'm feeling,” Laumatia explained, “and once it was done I shared a photograph of it on a local Facebook group'.

The response from the local community had been “overwhelming” and many people suggested he should auction the painting off to raise funds for Hunt's family.

Laumatia listed the artwork on TradeMe on Sunday and within a day already had bids up to $750.

'All the money raised will be given to Hunt's family to help them. I haven't been in touch with them directly yet, but all the money will be put directly into the NZ Police Association bank account which has been set up for them.'

Members of the public can also donate directly to the account at: 02-0500-0756808-00.

The death of Hunt had also increased Laumatia's worries about his own sons.

“I now understand the worry my wife felt for all those years that I was in the force,” he said.

The auction will close on Wednesday, June 24.

Meanwhile, floral tributes were left near the scene of Friday's shooting in Auckland as the community paid tribute to Hunt.

Many of those were then moved to the police station at Henderson, where members of the public continued arriving on Sunday afternoon to pay their respects.

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.

In a statement his family said it was his 'lifelong dream' to become a police officer.

'Matthew was a person of great integrity,' his family said.

'His closest friends were like his brothers and sisters, and they along with his family are absolutely heartbroken by what has happened.'