Gransnet forums

News & politics

Police officer killed

(102 Posts)
dizzyblonde Fri 16-Aug-19 21:35:02

PC Andrew Harper was killed yesterday in the line of duty whilst responding to reports of a burglary. He was 28 years old and had been married only four weeks previously. He was due to go on his honeymoon next week.
Heartbreaking. sad

Luckygirl Fri 16-Aug-19 21:36:45

It is so so sad. There is nothing to say.

Grannybags Fri 16-Aug-19 21:45:37

It's awful. Can't add anything else really

Smileless2012 Fri 16-Aug-19 21:59:18

Awful, just awful.

MawB Fri 16-Aug-19 22:02:18

Ghastly

EllanVannin Fri 16-Aug-19 22:05:13

Indescribably sad.

Maggiemaybe Fri 16-Aug-19 22:22:38

It’s horrible. And it seems as though violent attacks on the police are all the more frequent recently. I just hope he was double crewed and didn’t die alone.

suziewoozie Fri 16-Aug-19 22:38:26

Yes he was double crewed at least. I’ve found myself thinking about him and his family all day, on and off, as I’m sure many of you have. Seeing the wedding photo is just so sad.

Anniebach Fri 16-Aug-19 22:52:04

I was thinking of his wife and that knock at the door.

Squiffy Fri 16-Aug-19 23:14:23

Horrific.

Annie flowers

Mapleleaf Fri 16-Aug-19 23:18:20

It’s dreadful. What’s gone wrong with our society?

SisterAct Fri 16-Aug-19 23:34:06

??

janipat Fri 16-Aug-19 23:38:35

As the mother of a policeman, his family are going through what we all fear. I can't begin to imagine the absolute pain his wife is going through right now. And that pain is likely to be increased when the CPS lower any charges against those who have been arrested. RIP Andrew, the thin blue line just got thinner.

DillytheGardener Sat 17-Aug-19 03:11:36

Heartbreaking. Seeing the photos of them both, the family must be in bits.

Davidhs Sat 17-Aug-19 06:54:55

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Brunette10 Sat 17-Aug-19 07:52:04

I agree with Mapleleaf, what kind of society do we live in - just absolutely awful - my heart goes out to his new wife and family - flowers

Maggiemaybe Sat 17-Aug-19 08:09:43

Pussyfooting around, Davidhs?

22000 officers have been lost to the police service over the last few years. Proactive initiatives that were really helping to cut crime had to be dropped, police officers are now sent out on their own to deal with all sorts of violent and dangerous incidents. Criminals know how stretched they are and have been emboldened accordingly.

Now of course our Boris is reversing the trend and throwing in cash to recruit 20000 officers. And somehow they are going to have to be trained and taken out with experienced officers in these circumstances while they learn on the job.

I’m police family too. One of my family is still suffering the effects of having acid thrown in his face during an arrest. They have all been attacked on duty, it’s just what they have to put up with. Pussyfooting around is the last thing they’d do.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49376206

gillybob Sat 17-Aug-19 08:45:13

Shocking and very very sad.

There was a senseless murder in Newcastle just the other day too, it has really shook me as we rarely hear of such things up here in the North East.

Family man 52 was set upon by a group of youths outside a huge shopping centre in the middle of the day and stabbed to death with a screwdriver. What is this country coming to?

Davidhs Sat 17-Aug-19 08:47:39

Maybe some of you don’t realize these traveler camps are closed. The police are not going to go in without a riot squad in attendance, we had an incident locally.

A vehicle was stolen, the helicopter was nearby and they tracked it to the local traveler camp, the armed response unit arrived, went in and recovered the vehicle plus 3 others and 2 truck loads of other stolen property. No arrests of course everybody had a solid alibi, nobody knew or saw anything.

Time to get tough or more deaths will result

sodapop Sat 17-Aug-19 08:54:05

So very sad for such a young man with so much to look forward to. I hope the sentencing is commensurate with the crime, no extenuating circumstances.

Lessismore Sat 17-Aug-19 08:58:56

10 men arrested, travelers, no surprises there

We have to be very very careful about making these kind of statements.

What happened to that policeman is absolutely terrible.

bingo12 Sat 17-Aug-19 09:04:21

Today the papers seem to be saying he was actually run over by a police car.

Maggiemaybe Sat 17-Aug-19 09:08:50

After being dragged down the road underneath another vehicle and thrown into its path.

Maggiemaybe Sat 17-Aug-19 09:09:59

So even more agony for yet another officer. Imagine having to live with that.

EllanVannin Sat 17-Aug-19 09:10:21

I've always been an advocate for the death penalty and where there are murders such as this one towards the lawmakers of this country, including service people too then the death penalty should be administered.

We don't need monsters such as these in society on our streets !

In view of the killings that we see on a daily basis, drastic measures must now be taken to halt this epidemic of violence. There is no respect for the law and prison hasn't been proven to be the answer in many cases as reoffending has increased.

It disgusts me to think that anyone can/does commit murder and gets away with it. If someone killed a member of my family I wouldn't want them to breathe again.