Police Remembrance Day ceremony held at the police college in Porirua, Wellington. Video / Mark Mitchell
The mother of slain police officer Constable Matthew Hunt has spoken about her son and his love for serving the community ahead of the Police Remembrance Ceremony today.
Diane Hunt said her son had wanted to be a police officer since he was in primary school, and everything he did was a move towards that goal.
Hunt was honoured in today's ceremony, along with the other 32 police officers who have been killed in the line of duty since New Zealand Police was formed in the last 1800s.
Hunt was allegedly murdered during a routine traffic stop on Reynella Drive in Massey on June 19.
Recruits perform a haka to the memorial wall at the Royal New Zealand College in Porirua. Photo / Mark Mitchell
He and his partner were shot multiple times by a man with a long-barrelled firearm.
Hunt died at the scene and his partner was badly wounded, but survived.
Eli Epiha, 24, is charged with murdering Hunt, attempting to murder the other police officer and wounding a member of the public as he allegedly fled the scene in a car driven by Natalie Bracken.
Bracken, 30, is charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact for allegedly driving the getaway car for Epiha.
Ahead of the ceremony today, Diane Hunt told Newstalk ZB's Chris Lynch the pain of his loss was "still very raw" and that the family was taking it "one day at a time".
Constable Matthew Hunt is the first officer since 2009 to be killed in the line of duty. Photo / Supplied
"Matthew always wanted to be a New Zealand police officer, it was all he wanted ... the blue family is Matthew's family."
All his study and jobs leading up to being in the police was a way for him to serve his community, she said.
"Matthew was a very humble person. He never boasted, he saw good in everyone. He was a decent human being."
Today's remembrance ceremony, held at the Royal New Zealand Police College in Porirua, was "particularly poignant" due to Hunt's death, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said.
"Our thoughts are always with Matthew's friends, who lost a great mate," he said.
He also paid tribute to former Kiwi cop Matiu Ratana, who was killed last week while serving as a police officer in London.
Ratana was shot multiple times in the chest.
Recruits attend the ceremony for Police Remembrance Day in Porirua. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Coster said Ratana had served in the New Zealand police for five years in the 2010s.
"He was described by his former colleagues as a larger-than-life character," he said.
Coster was proud of the New Zealand Police service, the people joining "to serve New Zealand" and "the many who wear the blue uniform".
Police Minister Stuart Nash also spoke at the ceremony, saying Hunt's death was a "tragedy and intolerable loss" which sent "shock waves" around the country.
Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy lays a wreath at the memorial wall, where a new plaque for slain officer Constable Matthew Hunt has been unveiled. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Hunt's name was read among the lists of cops killed on duty, police who died as a result of injuries sustained on duty, police who have died from other causes in the past year, and retired staff who have died in the past year.
A plaque bearing Hunt's name has been added to the memorial wall at the police college.
