Latest news with #ConstableKeithSmith
News.com.au
21 hours ago
- News.com.au
Tributes flow for Tasmanian cop shot dead while on duty
A Tasmania Police officer who was killed in the line of duty on Monday will be honoured with a police funeral for his service to both the force and the community. Constable Keith Smith has been remembered as a dedicated officer who loved his job and cherished the community he was privileged to serve. Tasmania Police Commissioner Donna Adams has announced a police funeral would be held next Friday, June 27. 'This week has been an incredibly difficult time for our Tasmania Police family,' she said on Friday. 'For many Tasmania Police officers, Keith was more than a colleague – he was a friend, a mentor and a true embodiment of what it means to serve.' A memorial website created by Tasmania Police has received dozens of messages of support from emergency service officials, politicians, community figures, colleagues, locals, and even members of the international policing community. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff posted on X that 'the love of an entire state' was with Constable Smith's loved ones. 'You will have every possible support made available as we come to grips with this heartbreaking tragedy,' he said. South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the death was a reminder that 'policing is an inherently dangerous profession'. 'Our officers accept the risks of performing their duty to protect the community. Despite this understanding, the impact is always significant and wide reaching when a police officer is tragically killed,' the Commissioner said. 'Please know that our thoughts are with all members of the Tasmania Police, and of course, in particular, Constable Smith's family.' Tongan Police Commissioner Geoff Turner expressed his sympathies to Constable Smith's family, saying he hoped they would 'draw comfort' from the knowledge that the international police community was standing by them. 'Support for Keith's family extends beyond the borders of Australia to the wider blue Pacific policing family. Faka'apa'apa atu'. Jyron Flannery, a 19-year old aspiring chef who was raised in the area, said that words could not express 'the deep sorrow felt by all of us who knew Keith'. 'He wasn't just a police officer, he was a guardian, a mentor and a true friend to many in the community,' Mr Flannery said. 'Whenever I'd come across him around town, especially when I was younger and in trouble … he had a way of calming me down and looking out for me … making sure I stayed on the right path.' Tasmania Police said the funeral would only be open to family, friends, invited guests and police. Constable Smith was killed earlier this week while serving a repossession warrant to a home on a rural property near North Motton in Queensland's northwest. Tasmania Police allege Constable Smith and a colleague were approaching the property when he was 'shot and killed' by 'a member of the public'. A man has been charged with murder and a slew of other charges related to the incident, and is due to appear in Launceston Magistrates court in early July.
SBS Australia
5 days ago
- SBS Australia
Police officer killed on duty in Tasmania identified as 25-year veteran Keith Smith
A police officer who was shot dead at a rural property in Tasmania while delivering a home repossession order has been formally identified. Constable Keith Anthony Smith, 57, was killed on Monday as he approached the house at North Motton in the state's north-west. A 46-year-old man, the resident of the property, remains under police guard in hospital, but is yet to be charged. Tasmania Police released Smith's name on Tuesday morning with permission from his family. He has been remembered as a highly regarded and dedicated officer across his 25 years of police service. Tasmania Police commissioner Donna Adams said: "Keith was a respected and committed officer, and his loss will be deeply felt across our policing family and the wider community." "My heart goes out to Keith's wife and family," she said. "We will be supporting them in every way we can during this incredibly difficult time. "The blue family will come together today, and over the next days and weeks. [We] will support the family and each other." Smith, a passionate cyclist, had worked at the nearby Ulverstone Police Station for the past five years, having joined the force in 2000. He received the Commissioner's Medal in 2011, a 20-year clasp in 2021, and the National Police Service Medal in 2016. "While no other staff have been injured in this terrible incident, all will be impacted by their involvement in such a tragic event," Adams said. Smith was at the house with another experienced frontline officer, accompanied by a supporting team of three specialist operations group officers stationed at the driveway. Adams described the delivery of the court-ordered home repossession order as "routine". The matter is being investigated by police professional standards and the coroner. The alleged offender was shot in the hand by one of the specialist operations group and then surrendered, police said.
