Police praise New Zealand Bravery Honours recipients
New Zealand Police welcome today’s announcement that 31 people, including 13 police officers, are recipients of the country’s highest awards for bravery and associated honours.
“We’re delighted to see the exemplary actions of so many people, including our own officers, honoured by Her Majesty the Queen with awards of the New Zealand Bravery Star, New Zealand Bravery Decoration and the New Zealand Bravery Medal,” said Acting Commissioner of Police Viv Rickard.
“The courageous and selfless acts of all these men and women, including some very young, who risked or lost their lives to save or attempt the rescue of others was just extraordinary.
“Whether shot at, stabbed, faced with people trapped in fires and crashes, raging waters or a mountain eruption each of the recipients acted without hesitation in situations of extreme danger,” Mr Rickard said.
“Their motivation in helping those whose lives were endangered, many of whom were strangers, is awe inspiring and they richly deserve our gratitude and the country’s highest praise.
“It’s a privilege and humbling to read the citations giving rise to these bravery awards. I’ve no doubt that the recipients and the families wonder why they have been singled out for special recognition.
“I know that for the police officers who feature they see themselves as part of a wider team who were simply doing their job and doing what was right. They, and other recipients acted intuitively, calmly and without any thought of future recognition.
“Their focus was purely on trying to save the life of someone else, friend or stranger.”
Mr Rickard said the bravery honours are a bittersweet moment for the families, friends and colleagues of everyone affected by some of New Zealand’s most tragic events.
These include amongst others:
• The Napier siege of May 2009 in which Senior Constable Len Snee was fatally shot and colleagues Senior Constables Grant Diver and Bruce Miller seriously wounded when searching a house for drugs. Ten police officers - Constables Michael Burne, Senior Constable Dennis Hurworth, Detective Sergeant Timothy Smith, Senior Constable Paul Symonds, Detective Sergeant Heath Jones, Senior Sergeant Anthony Miller, Constable Kevin Rooney, Detective Paul Buckley, Senior Constable Bradley Clark, and Detective Sergeant Nicholas Clere all received bravery honours. Four members of the public including Mr Len Holmwood, nearby residents Donald Fraser and Christine Jackman, and paramedic Stephen Smith who tried to save Senior Constable Snee and who extricated under gunfire the two injured officers were also honoured.
• Off duty Napier police Inspector Mike O’Leary, his then 15-year-old son Conor and another motorist Peter Booth who rescued two children from a burning crashed vehicle near Taupo in April 2009.
• Tauranga police dog handler Constable James Muir who faced an armed and dangerous youth when called to help a colleague who had previously been fired at during a pursuit.
• Auckland’s Constable Nicholas Corley who in August 2008 came across a crash and pulled free the driver trapped in the burning wreck.
• Auckland man Austin Hemmings, fatally stabbed in September 2008 when he went to help a woman threatened by a man outside her work.
• Elim Christian College teacher Tony McLean and 16 year old student Anthony Mulder who died when attempting to rescue the lives of others in the flooded Mangatepopo Gorge river canyon tragedy in April 2009.
Mr Rickard said that an announcement on recognition for other police staff who had acted meritoriously throughout the Napier siege will be made shortly. This recognition will be in the form of Commissioner’s and District Commander’s Awards.