On July 29, 1987, 30-year-old Senior Constable Peter Kidd died on duty while leading a raid on a house at Virginia. A search warrant had been executed on the home to capture a dangerous criminal who had been on the run for nine years after escaping from Sydney’s Long Bay Jail.
Senior Constable Kidd had been a Queensland Police officer for 10 years before he was shot twice in the chest through a closed bedroom door. Senior Constable Kidd pushed forward to open the door, enter the room and return fire before he was shot several more times. The gunman continued to fire at police, severely wounding a second officer before being fatally wounded by return fire.
Senior Constable Kidd was rushed to hospital where he later died from his wounds. The dedicated officer was posthumously awarded the Star of Courage on August 9, 1989 and the Queensland Police Service’s Valour Award on July 20, 1994.
These actions were undertaken with tremendous courage and risk to human life. They serve to remind us of the existing dangers police officers face in the execution of their duties.
Today marks the 25th anniversary of Senior Constable Peter Kidd’s passing.
With Honour He Served.
