A public memorial service for a Metropolitan Police sergeant killed in service was held on Tuesday (NZT) in central London.
Hundreds of police officers and politicians paid tribute to Matiu Ratana, who was shot dead at a custody centre in Croydon, south London, on 25 September 2020.
Sergeant Ratana was shot dead on duty in London in September 2020. (Source: Breakfast)
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick accompanied Sgt Ratana's partner, Su Bushby, to the service held at the Guards' Chapel in Westminster.
1News Europe correspondent Daniel Faitaua filed this report. (Source: Breakfast)
The UK Minister of State for Crime and Policing Kit Malthouse and New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Bede Corry were also present at the service.
An hour-long service for the 54-year-old New Zealand-born officer included hymns, readings and tributes, including a Māori hymn.
Rugby-mad Matiu or Matt Ratana was remembered as a coach, a mentor, and an inspiration. (Source: 1News)
Wellington-born Te Reo Māori speaker, the Venerable Jo-Kelly Moore, the Archdeacon of Canterbury, led the service.
The Māori hymn was sung by duo Kiwiroa Marshall and Sol Cooper of Ngati Ranana London Māori club.
"It was really special to be able to be here to honour someone from home, of our culture, someone who has given so much to this community," Marshall told 1News.
"To be able to be here, to represent Māoridom and represent his culture and stand tall and proud for him in front of all of those people, was amazing," she added.
"The legacy the man left shows that he set up the foundations of the core values we have as Māori – whanaungatanga (relationships), manaakitanga (respect and generosity) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and even aroha," Cooper said.
A Met police officer for 29 years, Ratana was a very proud Māori officer who had historic ties in New Zealand, where his great-grandfather founded the influential Ratana Church, and his grandmother was the first Māori woman MP, Iriaka Ratana.
In her tribute, Dick unveiled a ‘beautiful toki’ (adze), a Māori carving with the inscription ‘A mighty kauri has fallen’, gifted to the Metropolitan Police from the New Zealand Police, "in recognition of the cultural care afforded to our shared leader and colleague Matt Ratana".
"The carved toki is a symbol of strength, determination, courage and bravery," she said.
"Both the Kauri and the toki are wonderful images that illustrate the qualities used to describe the man we are all here to remember."
Outside the Guards Chapel in Westminster, NZ Police Deputy Commissioner Glenn Dunbier told 1News he was honoured to represent New Zealand at Ratana’s memorial and thanked Commissioner Dick for the cultural element in today’s proceedings.
"Clearly we heard today of the humility of the man and the empathy of the man and those are great qualities in a police officer in any part of the world."
Sergeant Ratana is survived by his lifelong parter Su Bushby and his adult son, also a police officer serving in Australia.
23-year-old Louis de Zoysa has been charged with Ratana's murder.
SHARE ME