Policeman bashed to death

By Keith Perry


A policeman was beaten to death while investigating a reported breakin at a shop in the south Waikato town of Mangakino last night.

The bashing occurred near the Mangakino Hotel where he went to make inquiries. The death stunned patrons heading home around closing time.

A resident said early today that she understood the constable suffered severe head injuries when bludgeoned with a heavy instrument.

"We knew the officer very well and are all very upset this could happen in our neighbourhood.

"He was a good guy."

Police said they could not say which of the town's three policeman had been murdered because next of kin had not yet been notified.

A doctor called to the scene around 10 o'clock said there was nothing he could do for the man.

Scores of officers from as far away as Hamilton and Taupo were called to Mangakino, 35km southwest of Tokoroa. Early today the armed offenders squad and dog handlers were hunting the killers.

A barmaid at the hotel said: "The police have told us not to say anything. We are all shocked. It happened outside the pub while we were busy cleaning up empties.
"There were definitely no guns involved."

A spokeswoman for the district police headquarters in Rotorua said: "Everyone is very shaken up at the moment. We only have sketchy details and it is too early to comment."

The killing at Mangakino is believed to bring to 23 the number of law enforcement officers killed on duty in New Zealand.

The last was Constable Glenn McKibbin, who was shot from a passing car while talking to a motorist in a street in Flaxmere, Hastings, on April 21, 1996.

The last policeman bashed to death was 35-year-old Senior Constable Peter Umbers, who was killed on the roadside near Ranfurly in Central Otago in May 1990.

His head injuries were so severe police initially thought he had been shot. Two other law enforcement officers have been fatally beaten.

On top of last night's death, three other Waikato/Bay of Plenty law enforcers have been killed on duty.

Mangakino was developed as a hydro-electric town in the late 1940s and police say it is the centre of cannabis growing in the Waikato.