Auckland police shooting: Overseas family of slain police officer will isolate

Monday, 22 June 2020

Police paid tribute to fallen officer Matthew Hunt at a press conference in Henderson on Sunday June 21.

Visiting family members of police officer who was shot and killed last Friday will not be given any compassionate leave from islolation before attending his funeral.

Matthew 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.

Compassionate exemptions from isolation were suspended pending a review last week after two women were released earlier for a funeral without being tested.

During her post-Cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed family members of Hunt, arriving from overseas, would be expected to complete the quarantine before being able to attend his funeral.

She said even when compassionate leave was in place, anyone arriving in the country would be expected to spend six to seven days in quarantine, and to have negative Covid test.

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Constable Matthew Hunt was shot and killed last Friday.

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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.

Earlier RNZ reported that Hunt's funeral would be delayed due to the need to isolate family members who had been transferred to Rotorua after Auckland's isolation facilities reached capacity.

'It's really difficult for the family coming into managed isolation,' Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Naila Hassan told Morning Report.

'I have been speaking to the family directly, I do have liaison officers assigned to specific family as they come in to the country.

'We are doing everything we can as an organisation to be the best we can be within the restrictions and the role we have as New Zealand Police.

'I understand they are in Rotorua, to say whether they're okay is probably not my position, you can imagine they'd rather be here. They'd rather be with the family that is here.'

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.'