National Police Memorial

On this day

Constable

Shaun Alan PULLEN

YEAR OF DEATH

09 April 1995

JURISDICTION

Tasmania

DETAILS OF DEATH

Constable Pullen died from injuries received in a single vehicle accident on the Murchison Highway one and a half kilometres north of the Zeehan turn-off. He was the front seat passenger in a police vehicle travelling south when it left the road and overturned while negotiating a right-hand bend on a wet and slippery road. Both the driver of the vehicle and Constable Pullen were stationed at Burnie. Constable Pullen died shortly after the accident.

On this day

Senior Constable

Richard Noel DUFTY

YEAR OF DEATH

09 April 1989

JURISDICTION

Victoria

DETAILS OF DEATH

About 9.45 p.m. Sunday 9 April 1989 Senior Constable Dufty was directing traffic at the intersection of Phillip Island Road and Churchill Road Phillip Island. Dufty was standing in the middle of the intersection directing east bound traffic by torch when he stepped backwards into the path of a motor car and received fatal injuries. He was flown to the Alfred Hospital Melbourne by Air Ambulance but died whilst medical staff were attending him.

On this day

Senior Constable

Colin Wesley BROWN

YEAR OF DEATH

09 April 1969

JURISDICTION

Queensland

DETAILS OF DEATH

Senior Constable Colin Wesley Brown was called to a dairy farm at Dayboro where an employee named Leonard Charles Spencer was suspected of having let 170 gallons of milk run out of a vat. The man had earlier been sacked and refused to leave his cottage. As Brown and the property owner Mr Grech were walking up the back steps to the house occupied by Spencer he appeared at a window overlooking the steps and pointed a .22 rifle out of the window shooting the police officer from a distance of three feet. The shot hit Brown in the middle of the chest. He staggered to the police vehicle and with the help of Grech obtained his service revolver and exchanged six shots with the gunman who fired back a number of shots. Brown also received a flesh wound under the left arm and there was gunshot damage to the police vehicle. Brown collapsed bleeding on the ground. Grech was able to overpower Spencer and tie him up. Brown was rushed to the Royal Brisbane Hospital but was dead on arrival. Spencer had been a patient at the Wolston Park psychiatric hospital for four years prior to working for Grech for seven months. He was found not guilty of murder on the grounds of insanity but ordered back into psychiatric custody. Senior Constable Brown is buried in the Hemmant Cemetery.

On this day

Constable 1st Class

Ruston George STEPHENSON

YEAR OF DEATH

09 April 1933

JURISDICTION

New South Wales

DETAILS OF DEATH

On 8 April 1933 Constable Stephenson of the Newtown Police Station travelled with a group of other Police to the Newtown Stadium. They parked the Police vehicle in Erskineville Road and as the Constable stepped out from behind the car he was hit by a passing motor cycle outfit. Constable Stephenson sustained severe injuries and died in hospital the following morning. A child passenger of the motor cycle outfit was also killed in the accident. The Constable was born in 1886 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 9 July 1912. At the time of his death he was stationed at Newtown. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal during World War I.

On this day

Constable

Miles O'GRADY

YEAR OF DEATH

09 April 1866

JURISDICTION

New South Wales

DETAILS OF DEATH

On the morning of 9 April 1866 Thomas Clarke and his gang of bushrangers appeared at Deep Creek near the Gulph Goldfields and spent the day robbing passing travellers. At nearby Nerrigundah 19 km west of Bodalla Constable Patrick Smythe was performing his duties alone. Sergeant Nelson Hitch was absent at Braidwood Court and Constable O’Grady was in bed seriously ill with ‘colonial fever’ (probably cholera). When Clarke learned of the police situation at Nerrigundah he led his gang into the township. Upon their arrival they held up Wallis’ Hotel and Pollock’s Store. Mrs Pollock (wife of the local gold buyer) however threw the keys to the safe into the street and the gang spent considerable time searching for them in the darkness. News of the events reached Constables Smythe and O’Grady at the police barracks and against the wishes of his colleague Miles O’Grady arose from his sick bed and dressed in his uniform. The two constables then set out to engage the bushrangers although O’Grady was very ill and was having difficulty walking. As they approached Wallis’ Hotel the police spotted the bushrangers and O’Grady fired killing bushranger William Fletcher. In the ensuing gun battle O’Grady was shot in the side and as both police fell back the gang ran to their horses and escaped. O’Grady was carried to the police barracks where he died a few hours later in great pain. The Constable was born in 1841 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 15 June 1863. At the time of his death he was stationed at Nerrigundah.