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] 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. [2]
Name | Rank | Age | Force | Date of death | Circumstances |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Richard Ellerker | PC | 42 | North Yorkshire Police | 26 December 1993 | Collapsed and died shortly after arresting a violent, drunk suspect [3] |
Robert Chenery Gladwell | PC | 37 | Metropolitan Police | 6 January 1991 | Died three weeks after being assaulted while carrying out an arrest [4] |
Desmond Morgan Acreman | PC | 33 | Metropolitan Police | 12 February 1967 | Accidentally run over while pursuing suspected thieves in Woolwich. [5] [a] |
Ronald Alan Addison | PC | 24 | Metropolitan Police | 24 January 1960 | Collapsed and died of heart failure while pursuing suspects [6] |
Raja Bashrat Ahmed | PC | 35 | Greater Manchester Police | 31 August 1999 | Motorcycle rammed into oncoming traffic by suspect [7] |
Jane Philippa Arbuthnot | WPC | 22 | Metropolitan Police | 17 December 1983 | Killed in the Harrods bombing [8] |
Alison Armitage | PC | 29 | Greater Manchester Police | 5 March 2001 | Run over by suspect [9] |
Jack William Avery | WRC | 28 | Metropolitan Police | 6 July 1940 | Stabbed |
Edward Alexander 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 | Sgt | 40 | Northumbria Police | 15 April 1913 | Shot [11] [b] |
Douglas Frederick Beckerson | PC | 22 | Metropolitan Police | 10 April 1971 | Fell through a roof while pursuing suspect [12] |
Robert Bentley | Sgt | 36 | City of London Police | 17 December 1910 | Shot during the Siege of Sidney Street |
Sharon Beshenivsky | PC | 38 | West Yorkshire Police | 18 November 2005 | Shot while responding to an armed robbery [9] |
Brian John Bishop | A/Sgt | 37 | Essex Police | 27 August 1984 | Shot |
Keith Henry Blakelock | PC | 40 | Metropolitan Police | 6 October 1985 | Stabbed in the Broadwater Farm riot [13] |
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 [14] |
Ian Nigel Broadhurst | PC | 34 | West Yorkshire Police | 26 December 2003 | Shot during the Leeds police shootings [9] |
Laurence Peter Brown | PC | 27 | Metropolitan Police | 28 August 1990 | Shot [15] |
Gareth Browning | PC | 36 | Thames Valley Police | 1 April 2017 | Struck by suspect vehicle while deploying a stinger in 2013 [16] |
Dugald Campbell | Watchman | unknown | Edinburgh City Police | 3 January 1812 | Killed whilst attempting to stop a robbery during the Hogmanay riots. [17] |
Gavin Carlton | PC | 29 | West Midlands Police | 19 December 1988 | Shot while attempting to arrest armed bank robbers [18] |
Joseph Geoffrey Carroll | PC | 46 | Northumbria Police | 13 April 2006 | Traffic collision while transporting a prisoner [9] |
Stephen Carroll | PC | 48 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 9 March 2009 | Shot by Republican terrorists whilst responding to 999 call. [19] |
Adele Yvette Cashman | DC | 30 | Metropolitan Police | 5 November 2012 | Collapsed while pursuing robbery suspects [20] |
Walter Charles Choat | PC | 34 | City of London Police | 17 December 1910 | Shot during the Siege of Sidney Street |
Duncan Clift | PC | 27 | Kent Police | 22 March 1991 | Killed off duty while trying to arrest car thief. [21] |
Raymond Anthony Codling | Insp | 49 | Greater Manchester Police | 14 September 1989 | Shot [22] |
Glenn Russell Corder | PC | 18 | Durham Constabulary | 6 February 1980 | Vehicle crashed during police pursuit [23] |
Raymond Davenport | PC | 42 | Merseyside Police | 4 July 1981 | Killed whilst attempting to stop a stolen vehicle [24] |
Brian Dawson | Sgt | 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. [25] [26] [27] |
Ian Dibell GM | PC | 41 | Essex Police | 9 July 2012 | Shot while off duty and confronting an armed man [28] |
Edward Roy Dorney | PC | 24 | Metropolitan Police | 1 January 1960 | Killed along with Police Dog Gus when hit by a train whilst pursuing burglary suspects. [29] |
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. [30] [31] |
Patrick Dunne | PC | 44 | Metropolitan Police | 20 October 1993 | Fatally shot while attending domestic dispute [32] |
Yvonne Joyce Fletcher | WPC | 25 | Metropolitan Police | 17 April 1984 | Shot [33] |
John William Fordham | DC | 45 | Metropolitan Police | 26 January 1985 | Stabbed during the Brink's-Mat robbery. |
William 'Bill' Forth | PS | 34 | Northumbria Police | 21 March 1993 | Beaten and stabbed to death after answering a 999 call. [34] |
Geoffrey Fox | PC | 41 | Metropolitan Police | 12 August 1966 | Shot in the Shepherd's Bush Murders, alongside Christopher Head and David Wombwell [9] |
Lewis George Fulton | PC | 28 | Strathclyde Police | 17 June 1994 | Stabbed [35] [c] |
Roger Philip Goad | CEO | 40 | Metropolitan Police | 25 August 1975 | Killed by an IRA bomb |
Glenn Thomas Goodman | SPC | 37 | North Yorkshire Police | 7 June 1992 | Shot by IRA member Paul Magee during routine traffic stop [36] |
Kevin Declan Gorman | PC | 24 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 23 November 2008 | Car accident whilst responding to emergency call. [19] |
Richard Gray | PC | 43 | West Mercia Constabulary | 6 May 2007 | Shot [37] |
Thomas Green | Sgt | 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. [19] |
Peter Guthrie | PC | 21 | West Midlands Police | 22 July 1972 | Shot [38] |
George Gutteridge | PC | 31 | Essex Police | 27 September 1927 | Shot. |
David Ian Haigh | PC | 25 | North Yorkshire Police | 17 June 1982 | Shot by Barry Prudom [39] |
Andrew Harper | PC | 28 | Thames Valley Police | 15 August 2019 | Dragged by vehicle while investigating a burglary report [40] |
Christopher Head | DS | 30 | Metropolitan Police | 12 August 1966 | Shot in the Shepherd's Bush Murders alongside Geoffrey Fox and David Wombwell [9] |
Jonathan Charles Henry | PC | 36 | Bedfordshire Police | 11 June 2007 | Stabbed |
Kenneth Robert 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 Thomas Irvine | PC | 30 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 23 November 2008 | Car accident whilst responding to emergency call. [19] |
Andrew James | PC | 38 | South Wales Police | 2 August 2003 | Accidentally run over while pursuing suspect [41] [d] |
Ieuan Griffith Jeffreys | PC | 31 | Merseyside Police | 4 May 1941 | Killed investigating an unexploded bomb on aiding duty in Liverpool. [42] |
Karpal Kaur Sandhu | PC | 30 | Metropolitan Police | 4 November 1973 | Fatally injured during an arrest [43] |
Desmond Derrick Kellam | PC | 31 | Wiltshire Constabulary | 3 October 1979 | Fatally injured during an arrest [44] |
Ronan Kerr | PC | 25 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 2 April 2011 | Killed by a Republican terrorist car bomb outside his home. [19] |
John William Kew | PC | 29 | West Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary | 11 July 1900 | Shot [45] [e] |
Robert Kidd | DS | 37 | London & North Western Railway Police | 29 September 1895 | Fatally injured during an arrest [46] |
Alan King | PS | 41 | Metropolitan Police | 29 November 1991 | Stabbed while questioning a male suspected of handling stolen goods [47] |
Nina Alexandra MacKay | WPC | 25 | Metropolitan Police | 24 October 1997 | Stabbed [48] |
Angus MacLeod MacKenzie | A/DC | 31 | City of Glasgow Police | 30 December 1969 | Shot during the Linwood bank robbery |
James Robert Bawn Magee | PC | 27 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 23 November 2008 | Car accident while responding to emergency call. [19] |
Francis John 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. [49] [50] |
Ronan McCloskey | PC | 25 | Metropolitan Police | 9 May 1987 | Struck by motor vehicle by suspected drink driver trying to escape. [51] |
Christopher McDonald | PC | 19 | Nottinghamshire Police | 17 May 1978 | Beaten [52] |
Sidney George Miles | PC | 42 | Metropolitan Police | 2 November 1952 | Shot whilst responding to a burglary |
Hugh John 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 [53] |
Andrew Carl Munn | PC | 37 | Leicestershire Constabulary | 15 August 2002 | Rammed by vehicle being pursued. Same incident as PC Bryan Moore. [54] |
Bryan Moore | PC | 39 | Leicestershire Constabulary | 15 August 2002 | Rammed by vehicle being pursued. Same incident as PC Andrew Munn. [54] |
George Bertram Mussell | PC | 40 | Northumberland County Constabulary | 15 April 1913 | Shot [11] [f] |
Stephen Robin Oake | DC | 40 | Greater Manchester Police | 14 January 2003 | Stabbed [9] |
Jon Odell | PC | 30 | Kent Police | 19 December 2000 | While conducting speed checks was intentionally run over by disqualified driver [55] [56] |
Keith Palmer | PC | 48 | Metropolitan Police | 22 March 2017 | Stabbed during Westminster terrorist attack |
Jim Porter | DC | 31 | Durham Constabulary | 4 March 1982 | Shot in pursuit of armed robbers. [57] |
Matt Ratana | Sgt | 54 | Metropolitan Police | 25 September 2020 | Shot while a man was being detained in a police custody centre [58] [59] |
Mandy Dawn 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. [60] |
Phillipa Reynolds | PC | 27 | Police Service Northern Ireland | 9 February 2013 | Killed when a stolen car hit her police car. [19] |
Gerry Irving Richardson | Supt | 38 | Lancashire Constabulary | 23 August 1971 | Shot |
Derek Robertson | Sgt | 39 | Metropolitan Police | 9 February 1994 | Stabbed during post office robbery. [61] [62] |
Graham Saville | Sgt | 46 | Nottinghamshire Police | 29 August 2023 | Fatally injured after being struck by a train trying to reach a distressed man on the track. [g] |
Dennis Arthur Smith | PC | 44 | Devon and Cornwall Police | 21 December 1973 | Shot after high speed pursuit [63] |
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, with his dying in hospital 4 hours later. |
Ernest Southern | PC | 35 | Lancashire Constabulary | 27 January 1962 | Collapsed attending a violent street affray [64] [h] |
John Speed | PS | 39 | West Yorkshire Police | 31 October 1984 | Shot while going to aid of a colleague who had been fired on near Leeds Parish Church [65] |
Michael Swindells | DC | 44 | West Midlands Police | 21 May 2004 | Stabbed [9] |
Barry Taylor | Insp | 30 | West Yorkshire Police | 15 February 1970 | Shot while responding to a burglary [66] |
John Taylor | PC | 26 | Staffordshire Police | 23 November 1986 | Pushed from roof while arresting burglars. [67] |
Robert Chisholm Thomson | ACC | 38 | Edinburgh City Police | 16 July 1940 | Shot [68] |
Stephen Andrew Tibble | PC | 21 | Metropolitan Police | 26 February 1975 | Shot while assisting colleague when off-duty [69] [i] |
Gary Toms | PC | 37 | Metropolitan Police | 11 April 2009 | Thrown from police vehicle during pursuit [9] |
Charles Tucker | Sgt | 46 | City of London Police | 16 December 1910 | Shot during the Siege of Sidney Street |
William Frederick Tyler | PC | 31 | Metropolitan Police | 29 January 1909 | Shot during the Tottenham Outrage |
Gerald Walker | PC | 42 | Nottinghamshire Police | 9 January 2003 | Run over |
Arthur Walls | Insp | 44 | Eastbourne Borough Police | 9 October 1912 | Shot |
Phillip John Walters | PC | 28 | Metropolitan Police | 18 April 1995 | Shot |
David Thomas Winter | Sgt | 31 | North Yorkshire Police | 28 June 1982 | Shot by Barry Prudom [39] |
David Wombwell | DC | 25 | Metropolitan Police | 12 August 1966 | Shot during the Shepherd's Bush Murders alongside Geoffrey Fox and Christopher Head [9] |
Ian Wain Woodward | PC | 33 | Lancashire Police | 25 February 1987 | Shot after challenging poacher off-duty. [70] |
James Wright | PC | 38 | Manchester City Police | 20 June 1934 | Run over [71] [j] |
David Phillips | PC | 34 | Merseyside Police | 5 October 2015 | Run over whilst attempting to deploy a Stop Stick device in a pursuit [72] [73] [74] |
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. [75] |
Sidney George Wood | PC | 27 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 26 April 1908 | Died after crashing his bicycle on a steep hill searching for a thief |
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. |
Wilfred Charles Viney | PC | 31 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 25 July 1930 | Killed riding pillion in a motorcycle collision on plain clothes night patrol. |
Sidney F. Loader | PC | 40 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 8 September 1938 | Fatally injured in a collision with a car while on cycle patrol. |
Alfred E. Head | PC | 46 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 19 October 1938 | Fatally injured in a road collision cycling to court in bad weather. |
Stanley Ivor 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. |
Walter Charles 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. |
Cecil Robert Budden | PC | 27 | Dorset Constabulary (now Dorset Police) | 19 May 1957 | Fatally injured in a collision with a car while on motorcycle patrol. |
Kenneth Frederick Innell | Insp | 44 | Dorset Police | 13 December 1982 | Collapsed and died during an incident on duty at Poole Quay. |
Sean Oxford | SPC | 21 | Dorset Police | 7 May 1992 | Collapsed and died during warm up exercises in preparation for self defence training. |
Stephen Wilson | PC | 37 | Dorset Police | 16 May 1996 | Fatally injured in a motorcycle collision while reporting for night duty. |
Ian Leslie Toomer | Insp | 50 | Dorset Police | 20 April 1999 | Killed in a road collision when his police car crashed in wet weather. |
Ian James Morton | DC | 32 | Dorset Police | 26 October 2008 | Killed in a road traffic collision whilst travelling to report for duty at Bournemouth, in the early morning, when his vehicle left the road and crashed into the wall of a bungalow at Highcliffe. |
Jonathan Mark Hicken | DC | 47 | Dorset Police | 6 October 2019 | Collapsed and died while travelling to duty. |
Key to rank abbreviations: