South London police officer Matt Ratana shot in custody centre

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

54-year-old Metropolitan Police sergeant Matiu "Matt" Ratana was shot at the Croydon, South London custody centre, at roughly 2am local time (0100 UTC) on Friday by a prisoner, suspected to be 23-year-old Louis De Zoysa. As of Monday, De Zoysa was reportedly still in critical condition, after a bullet hit him in the neck.

A man suspected to have supplied the gun to De Zoysa was arrested in Norfolk at 2am local time (0100 UTC) on Sunday.

Sergeant Ratana underwent open heart surgery at the centre and was then airlifted to hospital, but he was later pronounced dead.

Sergeant Ratana, from Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, served in the Auckland, New Zealand police force for five years. Reportedly the sergeant was due to retire in two months, and an acquaintance said he moved to the custody centre for its greater safety.

The alleged shooter was at the centre after being detained earlier Friday in an area near Norbury, Pollards Hill, for possession of ammunition and Class-B drugs.

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Sources

"Matt Ratana shooting: Man suspected of killing police officer in custody suite is named" — Sky News, September 28, 2020
Samantha Lock. "Who is Croydon police shooting suspect Louis De Zoysa?" — The Sun (UK), September 28, 2020
"Revealed: Suspect in killing of Kiwi Sergeant Matiu Ratana named as Louis De Zoysa" — The New Zealand Herald, September 28, 2020
Ellie Cambridge, Mike Sullivan, Nick Parker. "‘Gun seller’ arrested for supplying firearm that killed Sgt Matt Ratana as cops use explosives in raids" — The Sun (UK), September 27, 2020
Mike Sullivan, Nick Parker. "Croydon police shooting: Sgt Matt Ratana’s ‘killer’ revived by medics after he ‘dies’ in hospital as cops search home" — The Sun (UK), September 27, 2020

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