Accused deny charges over officer’s death

AUCKLAND: The man charged over the shooting of Auckland police officer Matthew Hunt in West Auckland last month has pleaded not guilty.

The 28yearold Waitemata police officer was shot during a routine traffic stop in the suburb of Massey on June 19.

Another police officer was also shot in the leg after being fired on more than a dozen times.

The shooting triggered a large manhunt by the police, including the Armed Offenders Squad, across Auckland that ended in the arrests of a 24yearold man and a 30yearold woman.

The man and woman, who both have name suppression, briefly appeared in the High Court at Auckland yesterday morning.

Police officers were in the public gallery.

The man is charged with murder, attempted murder and dangerous driving. The woman is been charged with being an accessory to murder.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty through their lawyers.

Justice Simon Moore continued name suppression for the pair and remanded them both in custody until a trial next year.

The plea came the day before Constable Hunt was due to be farewelled at a large private funeral at Eden Park.

His casket and family will arrive at, and leave, Eden Park by motorcade. There will be an honour guard, police piper, and flag presentation to his family.

The funeral had been pushed back after family members coming from overseas had to enter Covid19 isolation facilities.

Const Hunt and the other police officer were shot after failing to stop a vehicle about 10.30am on June 19.

They found it a short time later, crashed in Reynella Dr in Massey; as they approached, a man got out armed with a longbarrelled gun and opened fire.

A man who had been loading things into his car on the side of the road was also injured when a vehicle hit him.

He and the injured officer were admitted to hospital and have since been discharged. — RNZ